BS  2545  -S5  Vb  1860_1929 
Voll®er  <  P  sociology 

New  Testament  socioiuyy 


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New  Testament  Sociology 


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New  Testament 


Sociology 


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JAN  15  1924 
^CSICAL  %vi& 


For  Higher  Institutions  of  Learning,  Brother¬ 
hoods  and  Advanced  Bible  Classes 


i/  By 

PHILIP  VOLLMER,  Ph.  D„  D.  D. 

Professor  in  Eden  Theological  Seminary , 

St.  Louis ,  Mo. 

Author  of  “The  Modern  Student's  Life  of  Christ,” 
**John  Calvin ,”  4 4  The  Reformation  a 
Liberating  Force,”  etc. 


New  York  Chicago 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1923,  by 

FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London :  2 1  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh :  75  Princes  Street 


To  My  Dear  Wife , 
MATHILDE  W.  VOLLMER 


in  acknowledgme7it  of  her  valuable 
assistance  in  my  literary  work 
this  book 

is  lovingly  inscribed 


<1 


Foreword 


WE  are  living  in  serious  but  great  times.  The 
world  of  to-day  is  passing  through  another 
of  its  historical  crises  on  its  forward  march 
toward  a  more  perfect  social  order.  In  the  words  of 
the  poet, 

“  Das  Alte  faellt,  es  aendern  sich  die  Zeiten ; 

Und  neues  Leben  blueht  aus  den  Ruinen.” 

(“  Old  things  are  passing,  the  times  are  changing;  and 
from  the  ruins  of  the  old  new  life  is  springing.”) 

But  new  does  not  necessarily  mean  better .  In  order 
that  the  developing  civilization  may  be  better  than  the 
one  passing  away  the  Church  must  make  her  most 
strenuous  efforts  to  have  it  based  on  the  social  prin¬ 
ciples  of  Christ’s  gospel.  To  do  this  intelligently  the 
Church  must  teach  her  people  what  these  principles 
really  are.  To  assist  in  this  is  the  object  of  this  book. 

For  What  Groups  this  Book  has  Been  Prepared 

This  text-book  is  designed  (1)  for  higher  institutions 
of  learning,  such  as  theological  seminaries  and  colleges ; 
(2)  for  Brotherhoods  and  similar  societies;  (3)  for 
Adult  Sunday-school  and  Teacher  Training  classes; 
(4)  for  community  and  similar  literary  clubs;  (5)  for 
private  study. 


7 


8 


FOREWORD 


Arrangement  and  Method  of  the  Book 

Being  intended  as  a  guide  for  serious  study,  rather 
than  a  book  for  quick  perusal,  the  aim  has  been  to 
make  it  suggestive  rather  than  exhaustive  as  to 
material;  prolific  in  its  references  to  literature;  terse 
and  condensed  in  diction,  avoiding  time-consuming 
verbosity;  and  analytical  in  arrangement,  encouraging 
accuracy  of  study. 


Suggestions  as  to  the  Use  of  this  Book 

1.  The  book  has  been  so  arranged  that  it  may  be 
used  for  elementary  as  well  as  for  advanced  classes: 
omitting  material  in  the  first  case,  and  making  larger 
assignments  from  the  reference  material  in  the  latter. 

2.  It  may  be  used  for  extensive  or  intensive  study 
of  the  subject.  That  is,  the  whole  subject  may  be 
studied  in  one  continuous  course,  which  is  the  best 
method  for  schools;  or  the  whole  time  at  disposal  may 
be  devoted  to  one  or  more  groups  of  related  chapters, 
distributing  the  work  over  several  terms;  this  method 
may  be  preferred  by  study  classes  meeting  only  once  a 
week.  In  this  way,  the  book  may  do  service  for  sev¬ 
eral  seasons. 

3.  The  chief  object  of  these  studies  being  to  find 
out  what  the  New  Testament  teaches  on  each  subject, 
an  essential  part  of  the  preparation  should  be  to  look 
up  and  remember  the  Bible  references. 

4.  The  references  to  books  for  collateral  reading  are 
not  to  be  understood  as  indiscriminate  endorsement  of 
their  contents.  They  have  been  purposely  selected 
from  different  schools  of  thought  to  enable  the  student 
to  view  the  problems  from  all  angles,  stimulate  thought, 
inspire  intelligent  discussion  and  investigation  and  thus 


FOREWORD 


9 


enlarge  the  student’s  mental  horizon.  None  of  us  has 
the  solution  of  these  vexed  problems;  all  we  can  do  is 
to  discuss  them  frankly. 

5.  These  side-readings  may  be  merely  recom¬ 
mended,  or  some  sections  of  them  may  be  definitely 
assigned  as  a  part  of  the  required  preparation,  either 
for  reading  or  for  reports. 

6.  Research  work  should  be  encouraged  in  the  form 
of  reporting  books  not  mentioned  here,  or  of  bringing 
in  reports  or  clippings  from  the  periodicals  of  the  time. 

7.  Since  the  statistical  material,  etc.,  in  this  book 
is  subject  to  constant  change,  the  student  should  be 
encouraged  to  bring  it  up  to  date. 

8.  As  the  interspersed  questions  are  designed  to 
stimulate  thought,  well-considered  answers  should  be 
regarded  as  a  part  of  the  student’s  home  preparation. 

9.  The  subjects  treated  being  a  part  of  the  stu¬ 
dent’s  own  every-day  life,  questions,  suggestions,  con¬ 
structive  criticism  and  discussion  should  be  invited 
with  a  view  to  encourage  independent  thinking. 

Philip  Vollm  sr. 

Eden  Theological  Seminary , 

St.  Louis,  Mo. 


Contents 

PART  i 
Introduction 

I.  Definition  and  Importance  of  the 

Subject . 15 

II.  Classified  Selected  Bibliography  .  20 

III.  Literary  Sources  of  New  Testament 

Sociology . 25 

IV.  The  Historical  Roots  of  New  Testa¬ 

ment  Sociology . 29 

V.  Contemporaneous  Social  Problems  and 

Ideals . 35 

VI.  Christ’s  Aims  and  Methods  .  .  0  39 


PART  II 

The  Kingdom  of  God  as  Christ's  Ideal  for 
World  Reconstruction 

VII.  The  Key-Conception  of  Christ’s  Teach¬ 

ing  .......  43 

VIII.  Christ’s  Conception  of  the  Kingdom 

of  God  ......  50 

IX.  Constitution  and  Laws  of  the  King¬ 

dom  of  God . 59 

11 


12 

CONTENTS 

part  m 

The  Kingdom  and  the  Individual 

X. 

The  Socialized  Individual 

73 

XL 

The  Ethical  and  Social  Conduct  of 
Man . 

81 

XII. 

The  Individual  at  School  . 

9i 

XIII. 

The  Play  Instinct  in  Man 

109 

XIV. 

Disease  and  Health  . 

122 

PART  IV 

The  Kingdom  and  the  Family 

XV. 

Marriage  and  Divorce 

133 

XVI. 

The  Constituent  Members  of  the 
Family . 

146 

PART  V 

The  Kingdom  and  Our  Political  Institutions 

XVII. 

The  Local  Community 

161 

XVIII. 

The  State  and  Its  Government 

167 

XIX. 

Lawlessness  and  the  Administration 
of  Justice . 

180 

XX. 

The  War  System  .... 

189 

XXI. 

Christianity  and  Internationalism  . 

203 

PART  VI 

The  Kingdom  and  Our  Economic  Systems 

XXII. 

Property  and  Wealth  .  .  „ 

211 

XXIII. 

Capital  and  Labour  .... 

224 

XXIV. 

Poverty  and  Its  Abolition 

243 

CONTENTS 


13 


XXV. 

XXVI. 
XXVII. 
XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 


PART  vn 

The  Kingdom  and  the  Church 

Past  Achievements  of  the  Church  in 
Christianizing  Society  .  .  .251 

The  Failure  of  the  Church  in  Her 
Christianizing  Efforts  .  .  .  260 

What  Must  the  Church  Do  to  Be 
Saved  Herself?  ....  266 

What  Can  the  Church  Do  to  Help 
Save  Society  ?  284 

What  Is  the  Church  Doing  Now 
Toward  Christianizing  Society  ?  .  300 

Shall  We  Stand  By  the  Church  In 
Her  Efforts  to  Christianize  the 
Social  Order?  .  .  .  .312 


y 


PART  I 


Introduction 


CHAPTER  I 

DEFINITION  AND  IMPORTANCE  OF  THE 

SUBJECT 

Parallel  Readings : 

Consult  articles  on  sociology  and  economics  in  any  of  the 
standard  encyclopedias. 

Ross,  E.,  “  Principles  of  Sociology.” 

Giddings,  “  Elements  of  Sociology.” 

Chapman,  S.,  “  Political  Economy.” 

Fairbanks,  A.,  “  Introduction  to  Sociology.” 

Gardner,  “The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Progress,”  13-20. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  XI-XV. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  VII-X. 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  1-13. 

Henderson,  C.  R.,  “  Social  Duties,”  VII-XII  and  56. 

Mathews,  S.,  “  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  1-10. 

Speer,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  9-13. 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  chaps.  1-4. 

I.  Definition  and  Classification 

Definition. — New  Testament  Sociology  is  the  second 
subdivision  of  the  New  Testament  teaching  on  re¬ 
ligion  (the  first  subdivision  being  “  New  Testament 
Theology  ”),  dealing  with  the  ethical  conduct  of  men 
in  their  group  or  social  relations.  It  treats  of  Christ’s 
ideal  for  world  reconstruction — the  Kingdom  of  God 
— and  of  the  application  of  this  principle  to  our  modern 
problems,  such  as  the  family,  education,  government, 
wealth,  poverty,  capital  and  labour,  as  well  as  of  the 
important  place  of  the  Church  in  the  work  of  saving 
society. 


15 


16 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Note  I.  Sociology  is  derived  from  the  Latin  “  socius”  (com¬ 
panion,  comrade)  and  the  Greek  “ logos' 7  (word  or  teaching); 
hence  its  meaning :  “  teaching  about  men  conceived  of  as  an 
aggregate  body.” 

Note  2.  The  organic  relation  of  New  Testament  sociology  to 
the  other  divisions  of  New  Testament  teaching  is  as  follows: — 
The  proper  designation  for  the  collective  teaching  of  the  New 
Testament  should  be  “  The  Religious  Teaching  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment.”  This  may  be  subdivided  into  (i)  its  theological  and  (2) 
its  ethical  teaching.  The  latter  again  falls  into  (1)  individual  and 
(2)  social  ethics,  or  sociology. 

Note  3 .  The  main  subdivisions  of  the  whole  science  of 
sociology  are  the  following: — (1)  General  Sociology,  which  deals 
with  the  subject  in  its  entirety,  that  is,  with  the  nature,  history, 
structure,  the  diseases  of  society  and  their  remedies;  (2)  Biblical 
Sociology  which  treats  the  subject  from  the  exclusive  viewpoint 
of  the  Bible,  and  may  be  again  subdivided  into  Old  and  New 
Testament  sociology,  or  into  the  social  teaching  of  Moses,  the 
prophets,  Jesus,  Paul,  etc.;  (3)  Christian  Sociology,  which  de¬ 
scribes  the  principles  and  practices  of  society  as  they  have  been 
developed  and  modified  through  racial  and  scientific  peculiarities 
and  the  experiences  of  the  Church  during  her  long  history;  (4) 
Applied  or  Practical  Sociology,  which  aims  to  study  the  actual 
conditions  of  the  various  aspects  of  society  as  well  as  the  work 
being  done  to  improve  these  conditions. 

II.  The  Importance  of  the  Subject 

(1)  The  social  implications  of  the  Gospel  are  an 
essential  part  of  the  very  heart  of  Christ’s  message 
of  world  salvation.  It  has  been  said  that  there  is 
more  material  for  a  sociology  than  for  a  theology  in 
the  Bible.  (2)  In  order  to  proceed  intelligently  in  the 
effort  to  Christianize  the  social  order  one  must  know 
precisely  what  Christ’s  own  Christianity  really  is.  Rev. 
R.  Todt,  of  Berlin,  writes :  “  Whoever  would  under¬ 
stand  the  social  question  and  would  contribute  to  its 
solution  must  have  on  his  right  hand  the  works  of 
political  economy ;  on  his  left  those  of  scientific  social- 


DEFINITION  AND  IMPORTANCE 


17 


ism  and  before  him  must  keep  open  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment.”  (3)  The  demand  for  reliable  teaching  on 
Christ’s  principles  of  living  is  becoming  stronger  in 
proportion  as  intelligent  men  become  convinced  that 
their  application  to  the  pressing  social  problems  of  the 
day  is  the  only  influence  which  can  still  the  storm  of 
social  rage  and  insure  to  society  a  safe  yet  progressive 
development.  (4)  As  so  much  counterfeit  social  teach¬ 
ing  and  plans  for  world  reconstruction  are  offered  to 
society,  the  Church  is  in  duty  bound  to  present  to  the 
world  the  genuine  article.  (5)  The  thorough  study 
of  the  social  applications  of  Christ’s  Gospel  to  present 
conditions  will  make  the  modern  teachers  of  religion 
more  practical ,  calling  their  mind  away  to  some  extent 
from  the  Philistines,  the  Jebusites  and  Galatians  of 
old,  and  centering  their  attention  on  the  serious  prob¬ 
lems  of  the  New  Yorkites,  the  Philadelphians,  the 
Chicagoites  and  St.  Louisians  of  modern  times. 


III.  The  Difficulty  of  the  Subject 

(1)  Our  extant  sources  are  exceedingly  scarce.  We 
know  only  a  very  small  part  of  what  Jesus  and  His 
Apostles  have  taught.  (2)  The  material  actually  on 
hand  is  very  fragmentary ,  having  come  down  to  us  in 
the  form  of  detached  and  often  scattered  parts  of  what 
was  doubtless  a  complete  system  in  the  minds  of  the 
writers.  Teachings,  therefore,  that  may  appear  to  us 
contradictory  and  wrong  are  only  detached  elements 
of  a  truth,  which  if  correctly  combined  will  give  us 
the  true  and  complete  ideas  of  the  authors.  Yet  such 
combinations  are  very  difficult  to  make  and  in  many 
cases  simply  impossible.  (3)  The  Oriental  mind  of 
Jesus  delights  in  using  paradoxical,  crisp  and  pointed 
language ,  often  making  use  of  the  well-known  rhetor- 


18 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


ical  device  of  exaggeration.  This  habit  and  No. 
2  explain  many  of  His  “  hard  sayings.”  (Ex¬ 
amples?)  To  divest  Christ’s  teaching  from  this  an¬ 
cient  garb  as  to  thought-forms,  language  and  historical 
background  and  apply  it  to  modern  conditions  is  again 
very  difficult.  (4)  Usually  Christ’s  and  Paul’s  teach¬ 
ings  are  not  expressed  in  the  form  of  general  prin¬ 
ciples,  but  in  close  connection  with  concrete  situations, 
not  existing  any  more.  (Examples?)  This  makes 
the  import  of  some  sayings  obscure  to  us,  and,  more¬ 
over,  implies  that  some  of  their  teachings  are  not  ab¬ 
solutely  but  only  relatively  valid  and  true.  (Rich 
young  ruler.)  (5)  The  silence  of  our  records  on  so¬ 
cial  problems  in  which  the  first  century  was  as  inter¬ 
ested  as  we  are  (slavery,  prostitution,  political  and 
social  questions)  has  ever  led  to  contradictory  opinions 
as  to  the  real  teaching  of  the  New  Testament  on  these 
vexed  questions.  The  result  has  been  that,  as  in  the¬ 
ology,  so  in  sociology  men  read  into  Christ’s  words 
their  own  hopes  for  society,  mistaking  what  in  their 
opinion  He  ought  to  have  taught  for  what  He  actually 
did  teach  or  imply.  Therefore,  many  of  our  modern 
well-meant  ^positions  of  Christ’s  social  teachings  are 
really  impositions:  that  is,  merely  “  bescriptured  ”  so¬ 
cial  visions  and  ideals  of  men,  attributed  to  Jesus. 
(6)  The  individualistic  method  of  Bible  study  which 
has  so  largely  dominated  the  interpretation  of  the 
whole  Bible  has  narrowed  Christ’s  Gospel  to  a  field  to 
which  He  Himself  did  not  limit  it.  Therefore  to  un¬ 
earth  Christ’s  plain,  simple,  unabridged  and  non- 
mutilated  teaching  on  social  problems  is  not  an  easy 
task.  We  are  making  good  progress,  however,  in  this 
line  of  study  as  the  vast  amount  of  literature  clearly 
indicates.  (7)  The  inductive  method,  that  is,  the  pa- 


DEFINITION  AND  IMPORTANCE 


19 


tient,  humble,  prayerful  and  honest  study  of  the  New 
Testament,  in  the  light  of  the  many  helps  accessible 
to  us,  is  the  only  successful  way  to  introduce  us  to  the 
truth.  (“  Induco  ” — to  lead  into.) 

This  method  proceeds  by  looking  up  the  most  im¬ 
portant  passages  on  a  given  subject;  by  studying  each 
one  in  the  light  of  its  context;  by  classifying  them  into 
general  groups  and  finally  by  drawing  from  these  your 
conclusions  as  to  the  New  Testament  teaching  on  the 
topic  under  discussion. 


CHAPTER  II 


CLASSIFIED  SELECTED  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

The  next  best  thing  to  knowing  a  great  deal  on  a 
given  subject  is  to  know  where  to  find  more.  An  im¬ 
portant  aim  of  teaching  should  therefore  be  to  acquaint 
the  student  with  the  best  available  literature  on  the 
subject  under  consideration  and  to  train  him  to  acquire 
the  “  habit  of  looking  things  up.” 

The  amount  of  literature  on  our  subject  is  vast  and 
is  daily  increasing.  This  fact  is  in  itself  one  of  the 
unerring  signs  that  we  are  living  in  an  age  of  awakened 
“  social  consciousness.”  In  America  this  new  era  may 
be  dated  from  about  1880.  Before  this  date  literature 
of  any  kind  on  the  social  question  was  scarce.  Among 
the  pioneers  were  men  like  John  B.  Gough  (“  Social 
Responsibilities,”  1857)  ;  Prof.  Ely  (“  Social  Aspects 
of  Christianity,”  1889);  Prof.  Jos.  Strong  (“Our 
Country  ”  and  “  The  New  Era  ”)  ;  and  Dr.  Freeman- 
tie’s  still  important  lectures  on  “  The  World  as  the 
Subject  of  Redemption.” 

Space  permits  me  to  mention  in  this  chapter  only  a 
few  of  the  books  which  were  helpful  to  the  author,  in 
the  belief  that  they  will  render  similar  service  to  the 
student.  Additional  literature  will  be  referred  to  in 
the  various  chapters. 

Helpful  bibliographies  will  be  found  in  the  works  of 
Kent,  Vedder,  Gardner,  and  others  recommended  in 
this  chapter. 


20 


CLASSIFIED  SELECTED  BIBLIOGRAPHY  21 


The  literature  mentioned  in  this  book  has  been  pur¬ 
posely  selected  from  different  schools  of  thought,  for 
we  hold  that  intelligent  men  should  not  only  read  what 
they  or  the  Church  already  believe. 

I.  Books  of  Reference 

Some  of  the  most  valuable  material  on  our  subjects 
may  be  found  in  the  various  Bible  dictionaries  and  in 
the  religious  and  general  encyclopaedias.  There  the 
desired  information  may  be  found  in  condensed  and 
well-arranged  form,  which  saves  time  and  money. 

Hastings,  “Dictionary  of  the  Bible”  (4  vol.  and  Supplement). 

Hastings,  “Dictionary  of  the  Bible”  (One  vol.). 

Hastings,  “Dictionary  of  Christ  and  the  Gospels”  (2  vol.). 
v  Hastings,  “Dictionary  of  the  Apostolic  Church”  (2  vol.). 

Hastings,  “Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics”  (12  vol.). 

International  Standard  Bible  Dictionary,  (5  vol.). 

Encyclopaedia  Biblica,  (4  vol.). 

The  New  Schaff-Herzog  Encyclopaedia  of  Religious  Knowledge, 
(10  vol.). 

Bliss,  W.  D.  P.,  “  The  New  Encyclopaedia  of  Social  Reform.” 

Bryant,  W.  C,  “A  New  Library  of  Poetry  and  Song”  (2  vol.). 
<•  Sinclair,  Upton,  “  The  Cry  of  Justice.”  A  collection  of  social 
protests  selected  from  twenty-five  languages  covering  a  period  of 
5,000  years. 

Pochet,  “  Phrase  Book  of  Economic  and  Industrial  Terms.” 

Browne,  W.  R.,  “  What’s  What  in  the  Labour  Movement  ” 
(Definitions  of  phrases  in  use  in  the  labour  movement). 

Rauschenbusch,  W.,  “  Prayers  of  the  Social  Awakening.” 

II.  General  and  Applied  Sociology 

Ely,  **  Outlines  of  Economics.” 

Ward,  H.  F.,  “  The  New  Social  Order.” 

Ward,  L.,  “  Outlines  of  Sociology.” 

*  Lippman,  W.,  “  Public  Opinion.” 

Cooley,  C.  H.,  “  Social  Organizations.” 


22 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Gore,  Bishop,  “  Property,  its  Rights  and  Duties.” 

Jenks,  “  The  Principles  o£  Politics.” 

Eddy,  A.  J.,  “  Property.” 

Follett,  M.  P.,  “  The  New  State.” 

Henderson,  “  Industrial  Insurance  in  the  United  States.” 

-  Haering,  “  Das  Christliche  Eeben.” 

Dearborn  Publishing  Co.,  “Jewish  Activities  in  the  United 
States.” 

Small,  “  General  Sociology.” 

Belloc,  Hilaire,  “The  Jews.” 

Rogers,  R.,  “  Short  History  of  Ethics.” 

Schenck,  F.,  “  The  Sociology  of  the  Bible.” 

Sidgewick,  H.,  “  The  Methods  of  Ethics.” 

*  Ross,  “  Sin  and  Society.” 

Forrest,  “  Development  of  Western  Civilization.” 
Westernmarck,  “  Origin  and  Development  of  the  Moral  Ideas.” 
Fairchild,  H.  P.,  “  Outlines  of  Applied  Sociology.” 

III.  Various  Phases  of  the  Labour  Movement 

(a)  On  Socialism  by  Socialists 
Cross,  I.,  “  The  Essentials  of  Socialism.” 

Hillquit,  “  History  of  Socialism  in  the  United  States.” 

Hillquit,  “  Socialism  in  Theory  and  Practice.” 

-  Spargo,  John,  “The  Spiritual  Significance  of  Socialism.” 

Marx,  K.,  “Capital,”  (“Das  Kapital”). 

Randall,  N.,  “  The  Golden  Rule  Republic.  No  Utopia.” 

(b)  On  Socialism  by  Opponents 
Vaughan,  B.  S.  J.,  “  Socialism  and  Christianity.” 

Gettleman,  “  Socialism.” 

(c)  On  Socialism  by  Neutrals 
Schaeffle,  “  Quintessence  of  Socialism.” 

Schaefile,  “  The  Impossibility  of  Socialism.” 

*  Vedder,  “  Socialism  and  the  Ethics  of  Jesus.” 

Johns,  Raymond,  “  Socialism ;  Its  Strength  and  Weakness.” 
Kut’ter,  “  They  Must,  or,  God  in  the  Social  Democracy.” 

Clark,  J.  D.,  “  Social  Justice  Without  Socialism.” 

(d)  On  Capital  and  Labour  in  General 
Sellars,  R.  W.,  “The  Next  Step  in  Democracy.” 

Weyl,  W.  E.,  “The  New  Democracy.” 

Davies,  E.,  “  The  Collectivist  State  in  the  Making.” 


CLASSIFIED  SELECTED  BIBLIOGRAPHY  23 


'  Commons,  John  R.,  and  John  B.  Andrews,  “  Principles  o£ 
Labour  Legislation.” 

Beard,  M.,  “A  Short  History  of  the  American  Labour  Move¬ 
ment.” 

Brooks,  J.  G.,  “  American  Socialism.” 

Hobson,  J.  A.,  “  Evolution  of  Modern  Capitalism.” 

The  Steel  Strike  of  1919. 

Constitutionalism  in  Industry. 


IV.  Historical  Background  of  New  Testament 

Sociology 

Ross,  G.  A.  J.,  “The  Universality  of  Jesus.” 

Simkhovitch,  “  Toward  an  Understanding  of  Jesus.” 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Modern  Students’  Life  of  Christ.” 

»  Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force.” 
Buckle,  “  History  of  Civilization.” 

Thomson,  J.  A.,  “The  Outline  of  Science”  (4  vol.). 

Lecky,  “  History  of  European  Morals.” 

Guizot,  “  History  of  Civilization.” 

Schmucker,  “  The  Meaning  of  Evolution.” 

Bryan,  W.  J.,  “  In  His  Image.” 

*  Wright,  Wm.  K.,  “A  Student’s  Philosophy  of  Religion.” 

Angus,  “  The  Environment  of  Early  Christianity.” 

Case,  “  Evolution  of  Early  Christianity.” 

Rigg,  “History  of  the  Jewish  People.” 

V.  Social  Teaching  of  the  New  Testament 

Kresge,  E.  E.,  “  The  Ever  Coming  Kingdom  of  God.” 
Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis.” 
Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order.” 

*  Rauschenbusch,  “  A  Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel.” 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question.” 

Gardner,  “The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Progress.” 

Kent,  “  The  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus.” 
Mathews,  S.,  “  The  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus.” 

Stalker,  J.,  “  The  Ethics  of  Jesus.” 

Alexander,  “  The  Ethics  of  Paul.” 

'  Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Living.” 

Ellwood,  C.  A.,  “  The  Reconstruction  of  Religion.” 


24 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Herrmann,  “  Die  Sittlichen  Weisungen  Jesu.” 

Rau,  “ Die  Ethik  Jesu.” 

Ehrhardt,  “  Der  Grundcharacter  der  Ethik  Jesu.” 

Freemantle,  “  The  World  the  Subject  of  Redemption.’* 

Briggs,  “  The  Ethical  Teaching  of  Jesus.” 

>>  Bruce,  “  The  Kingdom  of  God.” 

Clarke,  W.,  “The  Ideal  of  Jesus.” 

Dobschiitz,  E.,  “  Christian  Life  in  the  Primitive  Church.” 

Speer,  R.,  “The  Principles  of  Jesus.” 

Vedder,  “The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Principles  of  Democ¬ 
racy.” 

Dobschiitz,  “  The  Influence  of  the  Bible  on  Civilization.” 

VI.  The  Church  and  the  Social  Gospel 

Fosdick,  H.  E.,  “  Christianity  and  Progress.” 

»  Brace,  C.  E.,  “  Gesta  Christi :  A  History  of  Human  Progress 
Under  Christianity.” 

Uhlhorn,  “  Conflict  Between  Christianity  and  Heathenism.” 
Kingman,  Henry,  “  The  Place  of  Jesus  in  the  Life  of  To-day.” 
Uhlhorn,  “  Christian  Charity.” 

Stoddard,  Lothrop,  “  The  Revolt  Against  Civilization.” 

Slattery,  “  The  Church  and  Its  American  Opportunity.” 

Barker,  J.  M.,  “  The  Social  Gospel  and  the  New  Era.” 

'  Gladden,  “  Social  Salvation.” 

Diefendorf,  D.  F.,  “  The  Christian  in  Social  Relations.” 
Fosdick,  “  Progressive  Christianity.” 

Williams,  Ch.  D.,  “  The  Prophetic  Ministry  for  To-day.” 
Babson,  “  Fundamentals  of  Prosperity.” 

Eucken,  “  Can  We  Still  be  Christians?  ” 

Sturt,  Henry,  “  Socialism  and  Character.” 

VII.  Novels  on  the  Social  Question 

Bellamy,  “  Looking  Backward,”  and  “  Equity.” 

Churchill,  “  The  Inside  of  the  Cup.” 

Rinehart,  M.  R.,  “A  Poor  Wise  Man.” 

Kaufman,  “  The  House  of  Bondage.” 

Parker,  C.  S.,  “  Working  with  the  Working  Woman.” 


i 


CHAPTER  III 


LITERARY  SOURCES  OF  NEW  TESTAMENT 

SOCIOLOGY 


Parallel  Readings: 

Any  reliable  book  on  New  Testament  Introduction,  as,  e.  g., 
those  by  Adeney,  Dod,  Salmon,  Theod.  Zahn,  Moffatt,  etc. ;  also 
the  articles  on  each  book  in  the  various  Bible  Dictionaries. 

Mathews,  S.,  “  Social  Teachings  of  Jesus,”  10-17. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  17^-180 
and  283. 

Heuver,  “  Teaching  of  Jesus  Concerning  Wealth,”  chap.  6. 

Clemen,  “  Primitive  Christianity  and  its  Non- Jewish  Sources.” 

Case,  “  Evolution  of  Early  Christianity.” 

Cobert,  “Archaeological  Discoveries  and  their  Bearing  on  the 
New  Testament.” 

Deissmann,  “  Eight  from  the  Ancient  East.” 

I.  Variety  in  the  Unity  of  Social  Teaching 

The  only  source  of  the  material  for  the  construction 
of  a  New  Testament  Sociology  are  the  twenty-seven 
New  Testament  books.  Other  writings,  such  as  the 
Old  Testament  Canon,  the  Apocrypha,  the  Apocalyptic 
books,  the  Talmud,  Josephus,  Philo,  and  others  may 
be  used  in  describing  the  historical  background,  but 
the  specific  aim  of  this  study  forbids  their  use  as  au¬ 
thoritative  sources. 

Chronologically  the  twenty-seven  New  Testament 
books  may  be  divided  into  three  groups :  (1)  The  Gen¬ 
eral  epistles  and  Paul’s  letters  ;  (2)  Hebrews,  Acts  and 
the  Synoptic  Gospels;  (3)  John’s  writings.  Each  of 
these  groups  reflects  to  some  extent  the  social  con¬ 
sciousness  of  the  period. 


25 


26 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


In  amount  and  emphasis  of  social  teaching  the 
twenty-seven  New  Testament  books  differ  consider¬ 
ably: 

(1)  Among  the  Gospels  John  is  more  interested  in 
Christ’s  theological  teaching,  while  the  Synoptics  em¬ 
phasize  very  strongly  the  social  aspects  of  Christ’s 
Gospel. 

(2)  Among  the  Synoptics  it  is  Luke  who  seems 

most  interested  in  the  Lord’s  social  teaching,  (a) 
He  reports  considerable  social  material,  not  found  in 
Matthew  and  Mark,  especially  such  incidents  as  show 
Christ’s  humane  bearing  toward  members  of  the  pro¬ 
scribed  classes  (Luke  7:  11;  7:  36-50;  9:  51;  10:  25- 
42;  chap.  15;  19:  1).  (b)  Sayings  of  Christ  which 

Luke  has  in  common  with  Matthew  and  Mark  have  a 
stronger  social  point  in  Luke.  Compare  Luke  6:  20 
with  Matthew  5:3;  Luke  6:  21  with  Matthew  5:  6; 
Luke  6:  30  with  Matthew  5:  42;  Luke  12:  33  with 
Matthew  19:  16-22,  etc.  ( c )  In  Acts  Luke  relates 
that  economic  communism  was  the  social  ideal  of  the 
primitive  Church  (Acts  2:  44-46;  4:  32-37)  ;  that  the 
mother  Church  created  a  new  office  for  more  efficient 
social  service  (Acts  6 : 1-5)  and  that  the  other  Churches 
also  abounded  in  active  charity  (Acts  9:  36;  10:  2; 
11:29). 

(3)  Among  the  primitive  authors  James ,  reflecting 
no  doubt  the  social  consciousness  of  his  Divine  brother 
and  of  the  Church  in  Jerusalem,  is  perhaps  the  most 
uncompromising  champion  of  social  justice.  In  1:  26- 
27  and  2:  14-19  he  utters  a  stunning  protest  against 
the  tendency  to  define  Christianity  in  terms  of  mere 
belief  rather  than  of  character  and  acts.  In  Peter's 
two  letters  also  stress  is  laid  on  the  social  side  of  the 
Gospel  (1  Pet.  2:  4-13;  chap.  3),  while  Jude  mentions 


LITERARY  SOURCES 


27 


by  name  the  “  love- feast  ”  which  was  a  social  gather¬ 
ing  of  equals. 

(4)  Paul ,  though  he  was  greatly  interested  in  sys¬ 
tematic  theology,  treats  the  ethical  and  social  principles 
of  the  Gospel  and  their  application  to  concrete  condi¬ 
tions  with  characteristic  thoroughness  in  all  his  writ¬ 
ings  (1  Thess.  4:  1-12;  1  Cor.  5:  13;  Rom.  1:  18-32; 
chaps.  6-8  and  12-15,  etc.). 

(5)  The  Book  of  Revelation  is  so  radical  in  its  social 
and  political  teaching  that  the  author  found  it  advis¬ 
able  to  express  his  fiery  prediction  of  the  downfall  of 
the  Roman  empire  in  mystical  figures  (chaps.  12,  13, 
17).  This  passion  for  righteousness  was  probably  one 
of  the  reasons  why  Revelation  had  to  struggle  for 
three  hundred  years  for  an  undisputed  place  in  the 
New  Testament  Canon  and  why,  when  the  Church  had 
become  the  friend  and  defender  of  the  Roman  Empire, 
the  true  meaning  of  the  book  became  gradually  ob¬ 
scure. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Book  of  Revelation  in  the  Light  of 
Scientific  Exegesis.” 


II.  General  Analysis  of  New  Testament 

Social  Teaching 

A  careful  comparison  of  the  more  important  sub¬ 
jects  of  Christ’s  teaching  has  resulted  in  the  surprising 
discovery  that  what  Jesus  had  to  say  on  the  Church, 
the  soul,  death,  heaven,  immortality,  eternal  life,  etc., 
occupies  a  remarkably  small  part  of  the  Synoptic 
Gospels.  All  these  subjects  are  indeed  clearly  taught 
by  Jesus,  but  the  one  subject  which  He  really  empha¬ 
sized  was  social  relationships.  The  reason  that  most 
Bible  students  do  not  realize  this  fact  may  be  due  to 


28 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


dogmatic  preconceptions  and  lack  of  the  historical 
spirit. 

Literature: 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  44-46. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  3,  177. 

What  do  the  New  Testament  books  show  in  detail 
concerning  Christ's  interest  in  sociology  and  how  do 
they  account  for  the  fact?  (1)  Christ  and  His 
Apostles  sprang  from  a  race  possessed  of  high  social 
ideals;  (2)  they  belonged  to  the  social  class  which  felt 
directly  the  pressure  of  economic  maladjustment;  (3) 
they  belonged  to  the  wide-awake  portion  of  the  peo¬ 
ple  that  assisted  in  the  promotion  of  the  religious  and 
social  Forward  Movement  inaugurated  by  John  the 
Baptist;  (4)  Jesus  was  by  nature  neither  an  ascetic 
nor  a  recluse,  but  a  public-spirited  man,  being  deeply 
interested  in  all  the  affairs  of  men;  (5)  Christ  was 
from  deep  conviction  strenuously  opposed  to  class- 
distinctions,  the  oppression  of  the  poor  and  to  corrup¬ 
tions  of  all  sorts,  and  He  hastened  His  death  by  de¬ 
nouncing  a  conspicuous  scheme  of  grafting  (Matt. 
21:  12-13)  ;  (6)  Christ  declared  that  an  essential  part 
of  His  mission  was  to  save  the  social  outcasts  (Luke 
15:  Iff.)  ;  (7)  all  of  Christ’s  miracles  were  performed 
for  the  purpose  of  doing  “  social  service  ”  by  relieving 
suffering;  (8)  the  social  and  political  implications  of 
Christ’s  Gospel  are  given  as  the  real  reason  for  the 
death  sentence  imposed  upon  Him  (Luke  22:67; 
23:  2,  3,  38)  ;  (9)  all  of  Christ’s  Apostles  followed  in 
their  Master’s  footsteps,  though  soon  the  emphasis, 
especially  with  Paul,  was  slightly  shifted  toward  the 
theological  aspects  of  Christ’s  teaching. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  HISTORICAL  ROOTS  OF  NEW 
TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 

Parallel  Readings: 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  1-43. 

Mackintosh,  H.  R.,  “  The  Originality  of  the  Christian  Message.” 

Freemantle,  “The  World  the  Subject  of  Redemption,”  Lecture 

II. 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  chap.  VI. 

Christ's  bold  program  of  establishing  God’s  rule 
upon  earth  is  firmly  rooted  in  the  Old  Testament  books 
through  which  it  runs  like  a  golden  thread  of  hope 
and  promise.  As  from  this  source  Christ  and  His 
Apostles  derived  many  of  their  ideals  and  drew  much 
of  their  inspiration,  a  brief  survey  of  the  soil  from 
which  their  teachings  sprang  is  necessary  to  an  ade¬ 
quate  understanding  of  it.  This  Old  Testament  root 
is  fivefold  consisting  of  a  collection  of  “  short  stories  ” 
all  having  a  social  point,  of  a  graphic  account  of 
Israel's  struggle  for  liberty,  the  code  of  the  Mosaic 
law,  the  Prophetic  messages  and  a  collection  of  the 
teachings  of  the  wise  men  of  Israel. 

Note.  As  if  is  our  only  aim  to  show  that  the  Old  Testament 
literature  from  which  Jesus  drew  much  of  His  inspiration  em¬ 
phasizes  the  social  aspects  of  religion,  we  will  entirely  disregard 
the  critical  questions  concerning  the  chronological  order  and 
authorship  of  the  several  Old  Testament  books  and  simply  follow 
the  order  of  the  books  in  our  English  Bible.  Students  interested 
in  these  literary  problems  will  find  them  ably  discussed  in  the 
following  books : 

Zerbe,  A.  S.,  “  The  Antiquity  of  Hebrew  Writings  and  Litera¬ 
ture.” 


29 


30 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Bennett,  “  Biblical  Introduction.” 

Orr,  J.,  “  The  Problem  of  the  Old  Testament.” 

Raven,  J.,  “Old  Testament  Introduction.” 

Davidson,  “  The  Theology  of  the  Old  Testament.” 

I.  The  Short  Stories  with  a  Social  Lesson 

The  Creation  Story  teaches  the  goodness  of  God  in 
providing  for  man  a  well-equipped  home,  in  teaching 
him  to  do  useful  work  and  in  giving  him  a  weekly  day 
of  rest.  (2)  The  Creation  of  Woman  emphasizes  the 
need  and  happiness  of  congenial  companionship  with 
equals.  (3)  The  Story  of  the  Fall  is  designed  to  ex¬ 
plain  the  origin,  nature  and  penalty  of  sin  which  re¬ 
sulted  in  social  misery.  (4)  Cain's  Crime  denounces 
envy  as  the  most  heinous  social  sin  and  emphasizes  the 
brotherhood  of  men.  (5)  The  Flood  Story  teaches 
the  survival  of  the  morally  fittest.  (6)  The  table  of 
the  Seventy  Nations  stresses  the  idea  of  universal 
brotherhood.  (7)  The  Abraham  Stories  show  that 
true  piety  is  the  root  of  unselfishness,  peace  and  cour¬ 
age.  (8)  Jacob's  Life  teaches  that  man  must  be  con¬ 
verted  from  his  unsocial  conduct  before  God  can  use 
him.  (9)  The  beautiful  Joseph  Stories  stress  the  so¬ 
cial  virtues  of  filial  piety,  courage,  sexual  purity  and 
magnanimity. 

II.  History  of  Israel's  Struggle  for  Liberty 

Parallel  Readings: 

The  American  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus.” 

Exceedingly  thrilling  must  have  been  to  the  boy  and 
man  Jesus  the  graphic  account  of  Israel’s  struggle  for 
freedom: — their  oppression  in  Egypt,  the  raising  of 
Moses  as  their  great  deliverer,  the  training  for  his 


THE  HISTORICAL  ROOTS 


31 


task,  the  sense  of  justice  and  hatred  of  oppression  ex¬ 
hibited  by  him,  his  feeling  of  solidarity  with  his  down¬ 
trodden  people,  the  clear-cut  program  of  organization, 
education  and  agitation  which  Moses  worked  out  and 
impressed  upon  his  people. 

III.  The  Social  Laws  of  Moses 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  etc.,  90-104. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Old  Testament  and  Social  Reform.” 

The  Mosaic  law  is  saturated  through  and  through 
with  a  strong  passion  for  social  and  economic  right¬ 
eousness.  For  the  solution  of  the  four  social  problems, 
vexing  the  world  of  to-day,  the  Mosaic  code  contains 
inexhaustible  treasures  of  divine  foresight.  (1)  As 
to  ownership  of  property,  Leviticus  25:  23  lays  down 
the  principles  of  stewardship  of  possessions,  while 
other  laws  prevent  the  accumulation  of  the  land  in  a 
few  hands  (Lev.  25:  14,  24;  Deut.  17:  17).  (2)  As 

to  poverty,  specific  directions  are  given  for  its  preven¬ 
tion  and  for  relieving  it  where  it  exists  (Lev.  25:  3-7 ; 
Deut.  23:  19 ;  24:  19 ;  26:  12).  (3)  Class  distinctions 

were  strictly  forbidden  (Lev.  25:55;  Ex.  30:13). 
The  Government  was  to  be  theo-democratic.  (4)  The 
Labourer  (day-labourer,  house-servant  and  serf)  was 
carefully  protected  against  cruelty,  exploitation  and 
need  (Deut.  24:  14;  15:  12-15;  Ex.  21:  20). 

IV.  The  Social  Messages  of  the  Prophets 

Kent,  “  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  13-30. 

Bennett,  “  Old  Testament  Introduction,”  171-267. 

Raven,  “  Old  Testament  Introduction,”  177-250. 

I.  Four  Chronological  Groups 

Israel’s  true  prophets  were  the  voice  of  God  and  the 


32 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


conscience  of  the  people.  Chronologically,  four  groups 
may  be  distinguished. 

(1)  The  Ancient  Prophets,  from  the  Exodus  to 
written  prophecy,  b.  c.  1400-800.  The  outstanding 
names  in  this  period  were  Samuel,  who  warned  the 
people  against  monarchy  because  of  its  tendency  to 
run  into  despotism  ( 1  Sam.  8 :  15-17 ) .  He  denounced 
King  Saul’s  disobedience  to  God  and  put  a  new  dynasty 
on  the  throne.  Nathan  who  called  Israel’s  most  power¬ 
ful  king  to  repentance  (2  Sam.  12:7-15).  Elijah, 
who  opposed  king  and  queen  and  was  a  great  reformer 
of  religion  and  the  government. 

(2)  The  Pre-Exilic  Prophets,  b.  c.  800-586.  To 
this  period  belong  Amos,  the  prophet  of  social  justice; 
Hosea ,  who  emphasized  love  and  social  purity;  Isaiah, 
who  predicted  the  Messiah  as  a  prince  of  peace ;  Micah, 
who  gave  in  four  lines  a  definition  of  religion  regarded 
by  Huxley  as  a  most  wonderful  inspiration  (Amos 
6:8). 

(3)  Exilic  Prophets  (b.  c.  586-570).  In  this  pe¬ 
riod  lived  Jeremiah  who  insisted  on  the  individual’s 
responsibility  for  the  prevailing  unrighteous  and 
Ezekiel  who  promised  the  people  a  “  restoration  ”  and 
a  “  hagiocracy  ”  (a  rule  by  the  saints). 

(4)  The  Post-Exilic  Prophets  (b.  c.  570-400).  To 
this  period  belong  Haggai,  Zechariah,  Malachi.  As  the 
Jewish  state  was  now  destroyed,  the  emphasis  shifted 
to  individual  salvation  in  the  prophetic  teaching  of  this 
period. 

II.  Common  Characteristics  of  the  Prophetic 

Messages 

(1)  All  held  to  the  group  or  social  conception  of 
religion,  dealing  preeminently  with  public,  social  and 


THE  HISTORICAL  ROOTS 


S3 


political  life,  rather  than  with  mere  private  morality. 
“  If  any  modern  preacher  had  told  them  to  disentangle 
their  religion  and  their  politics  and  keep  them  in  sepa¬ 
rate  compartments  they  would  not  have  known  what 
he  meant.”  For  to  them  mixing  religion  with  politics 
and  business  was  the  chief  duty  of  men. 

(2)  Their  social  and  political  ideal  was  a  true 
theocracy,  i.  e.,  the  control  of  Jehovah’s  will  in  all  the 
affairs  of  life. 

(3)  All  denounced  ceremonialism  in  religion,  insist¬ 
ing  that  the  tremendous  amount  of  power  which  re¬ 
ligion  generates  should  be  used  for  the  betterment  of 
social  conditions.  Jehovah  is  not  a  God  that  can  be 
flattered  or  must  be  bribed  by  loud  incantations;  He 
takes  pleasure  only  in  ethical  conduct  (Micah  6:  6-8; 
Hos.  6:  6;  Isa.  1:  10-17;  Amos  5:  21-24). 

(4)  All  emphasized  the  this-worldly  character  of  re¬ 
wards  and  punishments,  the  more  so  as  the  immortality 
of  the  soul  was  yet  little  stressed  in  the  period  when 
prophetic  ethical  ideas  of  religion  took  shape. 

(5)  The  sympathy  of  all  the  prophets  leaned 
strongly  toward  the  poor  and  oppressed. 

(6)  As  a  result  of  such  principles,  Israel’s  prophets 
considered  agitation  for  social  reforms  as  a  sacred  re¬ 
ligious  duty  and  as  belonging  to  the  essence  of  true 
patriotism.  For  this  they  were  persecuted  just  as 
prophets  have  been  in  all  ages. 

Literature: 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  1-43. 

V.  Social  Teaching  of  the  Old  Testament 
Wisdom  Literature 

This  interesting  group  of  books — Job,  Proverbs,  and 
Ecclesiastes — reflect  the  Jewish  philosophy  of  practical 


34 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


life,  giving  detailed  directions  on  the  duties  of  husband, 
wife,  children,  the  rulers,  the  poor,  etc.,  culminating 
in  a  graphic  description  of  a  “  social  citizen”  in  Job, 
chapters  29  and  31. 

Many  of  our  proverbs  are  taken  from  these  books. 
Especially  the  educated  student  will  enjoy  reading 
these  books  because  of  the  great  wealth  of  social 
wisdom  which  they  contain. 

Literature: 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  141-164. 


CHAPTER  V 


CONTEMPORANEOUS  SOCIAL  PROBLEMS 

AND  IDEALS 

Parallel  Readings: 

Gardner,  “  The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Problems,”  21-58. 

Abbott,  Eyman,  “  Christianity  and  Social  Problems,”  1-26. 

Articles  in  Hastings’  “  Dictionary  of  the  Apostolic  Church  ”  on 
" Roman  Empire”  (II,  401)  ;  “Roman  Law”  (II,  404). 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Modern  Student’s  Eife  of  Christ,”  8-24. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  History  and  Literature  of  the  Apostolic 
Church,”  chap.  I. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teachings,”  181-186. 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  76-77. 

Angus,  “  Environment  of  Early  Christianity.” 

Tacitus,  “  Germania.” 

Plato,  “Apologia  and  Republic”  (in  “Cry  of  Justice,”  848). 

Marcus  Aurelius,  “  Meditations.” 

Moore,  “Utopia”  (in  “Cry  of  Justice,”  851). 

Ueberweg,  “  History  of  Philosophy,”  I,  185-259. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Dialectical  Method  of  Socrates.” 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  366. 

“Christ  and  Civilization,”  45-80  and  119. 

On  the  Essenes : — Article  in  Hastings’  “  Dictionary  of  the  Apos¬ 
tolic  Church,”  I,  366;  George  Moore,  “Brook  Kerith,”  VII-X  and 
463-486;  Jos.  Jewish  War,  2,  8,  2  and  Ant.  13,  5,  9;  Case, 
“  Evolution  of  Early  Christianity,”  95. 

I.  The  Social  Problems  of  Christ’s  Time 

The  social  problems  confronting  Jesus  and  the 
Apostles  were  the  same  in  substance  as  those  of  our 
own  days,  though  greatly  differing  in  form.  Some  of 
the  most  important  ones  were  the  following:  (1)  Un¬ 
dervaluation  of  the  rights  of  personality,  especially  in 

35 


36 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


relation  to  the  child,  the  woman  and  the  dependent 
classes.  (2)  A  very  low  state  of  sex-morality ,  mani¬ 
fested  by  the  prevalence  of  most  repulsive  vices  (Rom. 
1:  24—27),  disinclination  to  marry  on  the  part  of  men, 
marital  infidelity  by  both  partners,  leading  to  frequent 
divorces,  aversion  to  bearing  and  raising  children,  re¬ 
sulting  in  the  practice  of  abortion  and  the  exposure 
of  unwelcome  infants.  (3)  Great  economic  inequali¬ 
ties,  manifested  in  the  two  extremes  of  abject  poverty 
and  enormous  wealth,  the  latter  expressing  itself  in 
coarse  luxury.  (4)  Unsatisfactory  labour  conditions 
resulting  in  frequent  slave  insurrections  (Spartacus). 
(5)  Political  unrest  due  to  the  mixture  of  races  and 
nations,  forced  to  live  together  under  the  iron  rule  of 
Rome,  with  no  common  but  rather  contradictory  ideals 
to  guide  them,  each  one  contending  for  independence 
and  always  ready  for  a  revolution.  (6)  Decline  of 
ethical  religion  among  the  Gentiles  and  glowing  fa¬ 
naticism  among  the  Jews.  (7)  Trust  in  mere  material 
and  intellectual  civilization . 

II.  Social  Ideals  for  the  Solution  of  These 

Problems 

As  Christ’s  own  solution  for  the  social  problems  of 
all  ages  forms  the  chief  subject  of  this  book  we  will 
omit  any  discussion  of  it  at  this  place,  sketching  only 
the  various  social  ideals  of  His  contemporaries  by  the 
realization  of  which  they  proposed  to  solve  the  pressing 
social  problems  of  their  times. 

(1)  The  Jewish  Social  Ideals,  (a)  The  Sadducees, 
the  liberals  of  Judaism,  favoured  acquiescence  in 
Roman  rule  and  encouragement  of  Graeco-Roman  cul¬ 
ture.  (&)  The  Pharisees,  being  the  conservatives  in 
religion  and  politics,  opposed  Roman  rule  and  civiliza- 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  AND  IDEALS 


37 


tion,  encouraging  the  people  to  look  for  the  speedy 
coming  of  the  Messiah  who  would  erect  a  political 
world  empire  under  Jewish  leadership  in  which  the 
prophetic  ideals  of  righteousness  should  be  realized. 

(c)  The  Zealots  were  a  small  but  very  determined  fac¬ 
tion  of  the  Pharisees,  constantly  agitating  for  imme¬ 
diate  rebellion  against  Rome.  The  two  latter  groups 
represented  the  apocalyptic  type  of  Judaism,  hoping 
for  a  speedy,  sudden  and  catastrophic  reestablishment 
of  the  kingdom  of  David  under  a  warlike  Messiah. 

( d )  The  Bssenes  were  the  monks  and  pietists  among 
the  Jews.  Their  social  ideal  was  economic  commu¬ 
nism,  retirement  from  the  world,  celibacy  and  severe 
ceremonialism  in  religion.  ( e )  John  the  Baptist  was 
a  prophet  of  the  Old  Testament  type,  insisting  on  in¬ 
dividual,  group  and  national  repentance  as  an  abso¬ 
lute  condition  for  entering  into  the  fast-approaching 
Messianic  Kingdom.  His  religious  demands  were 
strictly  ethical  and  social  (Matt.  3;  Luke  3).  He 
called  even  upon  the  king  and  the  queen  to  repent 
(Matt.  14:  4).  This  fearlessness  led  to  his  imprison¬ 
ment  and  the  martyr’s  death.  The  great  effect  of  his 
work  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  long  after  his  death 
“  disciples  of  John  ”  are  found  in  remote  parts  of  the 
Roman  Empire  (Acts  19:  3). 

(2)  The  Social  Ideals  of  Graeco-Roman  Civiliza¬ 
tion,  proposed  as  solutions  for  the  many  perplexing 
social  problems:  (1)  The  crude  popular  religion  ex¬ 
erted  as  little  ethical  influence  then  as  do  certain  low 
types  of  Christianity  to-day.  (2)  The  religion  of 
philosophy  was  based  on  a  more  rational  and  ethical 
conception  of  monotheism,  thus  leading  to  what  is 
known  as  syncretism,  i.  e.,  a  religion  composed  of  the 
chief  elements  common  to  all  religions.  (3)  Plato's 


38 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


social  ideal ,  so  vividly  described  in  his  “  Republic,” 
was  still  alive.  According  to  it  society  is  to  consist  of 
three  classes:  the  philosophers,  being  the  intellectuals, 
are  to  rule;  the  warriors’  function  is  to  defend  the 
state,  but  they  must  be  under  the  control  of  the  philos¬ 
ophers;  the  artisans  and  slaves  are  to  constitute  the 
economic  foundation  of  the  state.  According  to  Plato 
the  great  mass  of  men  were  without  personality  and 
he  leaves  it  in  doubt  as  to  whether  woman  had  a  ra¬ 
tional  soul.  (4)  Stoicism  was  the  most  influential  of 
the  social  ideals  of  the  better  classes  in  Christ’s  time. 
The  Stoics  believed  in  moral  (not  physical)  freedom; 
in  the  equality  of  all  men,  based  on  the  belief  that  all 
men  were  sharers  of  Universal  Reason;  in  the  possi¬ 
bility  of  achieving  perfection  of  moral  disposition  and 
of  freedom  from  suffering  through  the  discipline  of  the 
will  (Alexander,  “  Ethics  of  St.  Paul,”  42-54).  (5) 

The  most  strenuous  efforts  to  save  the  individual  and 
society  were  made  by  the  famous  Mystery  Cidts. 
They  were  all  “  Saviour-Religions,”  i.  e.,  offering 
moral  improvement  here,  but  especially  stressing  the 
gift  of  a  blessed  immortality  hereafter  on  condition  of 
joining  one  of  their  secret  societies  and  obeying  its 
ritual.  (6)  The  Emperor-Worship  dates  from  hoary 
antiquity ;  but  in  Christ’s  time  it  had  developed  into  a 
scheme  for  cementing  together  the  many  nationalities 
of  the  greatly  diversified  Roman  Empire.  It  was  prac¬ 
tically  a  “  super-religion  of  patriotism  ”  which  in  es¬ 
sence  is  still  with  us,  demanding  that  when  the  rulers 
speak,  conscience  and  even  religion  must  submit. 


CHAPTER  VI 


CHRIST’S  AIMS  AND  METHODS 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  182. 

Vollmer,  “Life  of  Christ,”  301-315. 

I.  Christ’s  Definite  Aim 

From  the  first  Jesus  was  clearly  conscious  of  a  def¬ 
inite  life-purpose,  consisting  in  establishing  God’s  king- 
ship  on  earth.  The  several  announcements  of  this  aim 
vary  in  language,  but  the  thought  is  the  same  in  all  of 
them  (Mark  1:  15;  2:  17 ;  Matt.  5:  17;  20:  28;  Luke 
12:  49;  19:  10;  John  6:  38;  18:  37). 

Christ’s  clear  consciousness  of  world  salvation  finds 
its  most  graphic  expression  in  the  Temptation  Story 
(Matt.  4),  which  emphasizes  (1)  that  He  had  a  def¬ 
inite  ideal  and  plan  of  world  reconstruction;  (2)  that 
both  differed  essentially  from  those  of  contemporary 
Judaism;  (3)  that  as  to  the  means  employed  He  was 
opposed  to  material  force. 

II.  Christ’s  Method  of  Teaching  His  Social 

Ideals 

(1)  Christ  frequently  changed  His  method  in  order 
to  reach  His  point.  For  choice  of  method  must  be 
determined  by  the  object  in  view.  (2)  Christ  reveals 
eternal  principles ;  He  does  not  offer  programs,  nor 
ready-made  solutions  of  social  problems  or  precepts 
for  concrete  cases  (Luke  12:  14).  He  knew  that  His 
kingdom  was  a  growing  concern  and  growth  precludes 

39 


40 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


conclusiveness  of  rules.  Professor  Gardner  says: 
“  Ethical  principles  remain  the  same  from  age  to  age; 
but  ethical  rules,  which  are  the  applications  of  prin¬ 
ciples  to  particular  situations  may  vary  for  the  very 
reason  that  the  principles  do  not  change  ”  (page  277 
of  “  Ethics  of  Jesus  ”).  This  peculiarity  explains  the 
remarkable  modernness  of  Christ’s  teaching  on  per¬ 
sonal  and  social  life.  For  example,  the  social  prin¬ 
ciples  of  a  man  who  had  never  seen  a  modern  factory 
have  been  recognized  by  friend  and  foe  as  the  only 
solution  of  the  complex  problems  of  modem  industrial¬ 
ism.  (3)  As  mentioned  in  chapter  one,  these  prin¬ 
ciples  are  not  stated  abstractly  but  are  usually  em¬ 
bedded  in  concrete  cases  (Luke  12:  14;  16:  19-31), 
for  Christ  was  no  abstract,  timeless  generalizer.  In 
such  cases,  to  get  Christ’s  point,  we  must  seize  upon 
the  central  principle,  disregarding  the  accidental  or 
passing  features  of  the  context.  (4)  Christ’s  point  of 
view  as  to  all  reforms  was  from  above,  always  stress¬ 
ing  the  question  of  how  God  regarded  matters  under 
discussion,  whether  it  was  right,  in  conformity  to  ideal¬ 
ism,  and  not  whether  it  was  profitable.  (5)  Christ 
approached  the  reconstruction  of  society  from  within, 
proceeding  from  center  to  circumference,  starting  out 
with  the  regeneration  of  the  individual,  because  out  of 
the  heart  are  the  issues  of  life.  Men  make  and  main¬ 
tain  institutions  and  only  in  a  limited  sense  do  institu¬ 
tions  make  men.  (6)  Jesus  persistently  refused  to 
“  settle  ”  affairs  for  people,  i.  e.,  to  apply  His  principles 
to  concrete  cases  or  to  organize  campaigns  for  agita¬ 
tion.  He  knew,  (a)  that  the  people  asking  Him  to 
interfere  usually  had  ulterior,  selfish  motives  (Luke 
12:  11),  and  (b)  Christ  was  scientific  enough  to  know 
that  progress  is  gradual  and  spiral  and  that  true  moral 


CHRIST'S  AIMS  AND  METHODS 


41 


growth  cannot  be  forced  by  mere  outward  pressure 
(either  in  nature  or  in  the  kingdom),  though  it  may 
be  hastened  by  creating  favourable  conditions. 

III.  Some  Details  of  Christ’s  Method 

(1)  Jesus  was  not  a  specialist,  neither  in  city  preach¬ 
ing,  nor  in  slum  work,  nor  in  rural  reform,  nor  as  a 
traveling  evangelist.  His  work  was  largely  determined 
by  opportunities.  He  might  have  worked  more  in 
Judea  had  the  rulers  not  inflamed  the  people  against 
Him.  He  selected  Capernaum  because  His  home  vil¬ 
lage  rejected  Him  and  Capernaum  was  centrally  lo¬ 
cated.  (2)  Though  embracing  all  men  with  Divine 
love,  Jesus  may  almost  be  said  to  have  specialized  in 
singling  out  the  “  lost,”  i.  e.,  those  strayed  away  from 
God  into  the  “  world,”  the  social  outcasts,  called  “  sin¬ 
ners  ”  in  a  preeminent  sense.  (3)  Like  the  prophets, 
Jesus  constantly  appealed  to  social  groups,  as  repre¬ 
sented  by  cities,  professions,  parties  and  nations. 
(Show  it.) 

In  what  manner  did  Christ  impress  His  Gospel 
upon  men?  (1)  By  His  example  as  son,  brother,  pro¬ 
vider,  labourer,  master, — in  all  of  which  conditions 
His  social  principles  were  put  to  the  test;  (2)  by  popu¬ 
lar  preaching  and  accurate  teaching;  (3)  by  social 
contact  with  all  classes  of  people  to  an  extent  in  which 
public  opinion  to-day  would  not  permit  Christians  to 
follow  their  Master;  (4)  by  physical,  mental  and 
spiritual  healing;  (5)  by  organizing  a  Brotherhood  on 
the  basis  of  economic  communism;  (6)  by  encouraging 
cooperation  of  men  working  for  a  similar  aim  (Mark 
9:  40) ;  (7)  display  and  intentional  publicity  was  not 
a  part  of  Christ’s  method,  except  on  special  occasions 
(Matt.  21).  On  the  contrary,  He  often  forbade  pub- 


42 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


licity  of  His  miracles,  so  as  not  to  raise  false  expecta¬ 
tions  which  He  was  not  willing  to  fulfil.  (8)  Christ 
entertained  no  exaggerated  ideas  as  to  the  result  of  His 
ceaseless  activity.  He  knew  the  enslaving  power  of 
sin  and  the  moral  inertia  of  men,  especially  of  the 
masses.  But  He  also  knew  that  He  had  placed  the 
leaven  of  the  kingdom  into  the  world  which  would 
never  cease  working  and  improving  conditions  (John 
12:32). 


PART  II 


The  Kingdom  of  God  as  Christ’s 
Ideal  for  World  Reconstruction 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  KEY-CONCEPTION  OF  CPIRIST’S 

TEACHING 

Parallel  Readings: 

Articles  on  the  “  Kingdom  of  God  ”  may  be  found  in  all  Bible 
Dictionaries,  Encyclopedias,  books  on  New  Testament  Theology, 
on  the  Social  Teaching  of  Christ,  as  well  as  in  numerous  other 
books. 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Living,”  p.  v. 

Gardner,  “  The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Progress,”  61-85. 
Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  44-92. 
Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  40-102. 
Rauschenbusch,  “A  Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  110-146. 
Mathews,  S.,  “  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  chap.  III. 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  53-74  and 
chap.  II. 

Vedder,  “  Socialism  and  the  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  335-386. 

Speer,  R.,  “  The  Principles  of  Jesus,”  242. 

Dalman,  “The  Words  of  Jesus,”  91-161. 

Schaeffer,  W.  C.,  “  The  Supreme  Revelation,”  136-290. 

Irvine,  A.,  “  The  Carpenter  and  His  Kingdom.” 

Clarke,  W.  N.,  “  The  Ideal  of  Jesus.” 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  267-280. 

Cooley,  “  Social  Organization,”  313-355. 


Christ  came  into  our  sin-torn  world  for  the  purpose 
of  reconstructing  it  according  to  Divine  patterns,  to 
save  that  which  was  lost,  i.  e.,  strayed  away  from  the 
ideals  and  practice  of  Divine  righteousness.  The 
ideal  for  His  reconstruction  work  He  tersely  expressed 

43 


44 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


in  the  phrase,  “  Kingdom  of  God,”  by  the  constant  use 
of  which  Jesus  meant  to  emphasize  that  His  great  aim 
was  to  induce  men  to  have  their  individual  as  well  as 
their  group  life,  in  family,  state,  business  and  religion 
controlled  by  the  will  of  God.  For,  “  Thy  kingdom 
come  ”  is  interpreted  by  Christ  Himself  to  mean,  “  Thy 
will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven.” 

This  sublime  aim  Christ  has  pursued  in  all  ages. 
In  the  present  generation,  as  pointed  out  in  the  Fore¬ 
word,  the  world  is  again  passing  through  a  tremendous 
social,  political,  economic  and  religious  revolution  of 
which  the  World  War  (1914-1918)  and  its  conse¬ 
quences  was  one  of  the  effects  (by  no  means,  the 
cause).  The  existing  civilization  (not  civilization  as 
such)  is  at  present  in  the  process  of  dissolution  and  a 
new  social  order  is  slowly  but  surely  developing  before 
the  eyes  of  all  those  who  have  a  trained  mind  to  grasp 
the  deeper  movements  in  society.  But  “  new  ”  does 
not  necessarily  mean  “  better.”  In  order  that  the  new 
civilization  may  be  a  better  one  it  will  be  necessary  for 
all  Christian  forces  to  make  tremendous  efforts  to 
weave  into  it  the  spirit  and  the  principles  of  Christ  and 
His  Gospel.  In  order  to  do  this  intelligently  one  must 
know  what  Christ’s  ideals,  plans,  blue-prints  and  speci¬ 
fications  for  world  reconstruction  really  are.  Studies 
along  these  lines  are  therefore  of  paramount  impor¬ 
tance. 

The  best  method  in  studying  this  paramount  subject 
seems  to  be,  first,  to  gain  a  thorough  understanding  of 
Christ's  ideal  for  individual  and  group  reconstruction ; 
that  is,  to  dig  out  the  general  principles  which  underlie 
His  teaching  on  the  details  of  life.  This  will  enable 
us  to  find  out  His  habitual  attitude  toward  all  prob¬ 
lems  confronting  Him,  and  such  knowledge  will  serve 


THE  KEY- CONCEPTION 


45 


us  as  a  guide  in  applying  Christ’s  basic  principles  to 
the  different  phases  of  modem  life.  We  will,  there¬ 
fore,  start  out  by  studying  Christ’s  teaching  on  the 
kingdom  of  God: — the  form,  use,  origin  and  meaning 
of  the  term;  the  constitution  and  laws  of  God’s  king¬ 
dom;  and  finally  compare  it  with  its  counterpart,  the 
“  kingdom  of  the  world.” 

I.  “  Kingdom  of  God  ”  is  Christ’s  Keyword 

That  the  phrase  “  kingdom  of  God  ”  in  its  various 
forms  was  the  keyword  of  Jesus’  teaching  can  be 
proved,  (1)  by  its  frequent  use,  occurring  about  one 
hundred  and  nine  times  in  the  Gospels: — in  Matthew, 
fifty;  in  Mark,  fifteen;  in  Luke,  thirty-eight;  and  in 
John,  three  times;  (2)  by  its  continuous  use  from  the 
very  beginning  of  His  public  ministry  to  His  ascen¬ 
sion  (Mark  1:  15;  Matt.  6:  10;  Matt.  10:  7;  Luke 
10:  7;  Matt.  24:  14;  John  18:  36,  37 ;  Acts  1:  3)  ;  (3) 
by  the  frequency  of  its  use  in  the  various  periods  of 
Christ’s  ministry.  The  less  frequent  use  during  the 
first  half  of  Christ’s  ministry  is  not  due  to  any  un¬ 
certainty  concerning  His  real  mission,  but  rather  to 
the  fact  that  the  term  had  a  fixed  political  and  social 
meaning  in  the  minds  of  the  Jews,  which  Christ  wished 
first  to  correct.  It  was  considered  a  revolutionary 
term  with  inflammable  associations,  like  the  explosive 
slogans,  “  Liberty,”  “  Democracy,”  “  Self-determina¬ 
tion,”  etc.,  in  modem  times;  (4)  by  Christ’s  use  of  it 
as  a  summary  designation  of  His  entire  teaching.  His 
message  was  the  “  Gospel  of  the  k.”  (Matt.  24:  14)  ; 
or  the  “  word  of  the  k.”  (Matt.  13:  19)  ;  or  the  “  mak¬ 
ing  known  of  the  mystery  of  the  k.”  (Matt.  13:  11) ; 
when  they  understood  His  teaching,  they  were  “  in¬ 
structed  unto  the  k.”  (Matt.  13:  52)  ;  (5)  by  the  popu- 


46 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


lar  belief  concerning  Christ’s  claim,  as  shown  by  the 
charges  at  Christ’s  trials  before  the  Sanhedrin  and 
Pilate,  by  the  mocking  of  the  soldiers,  the  superscrip¬ 
tion  on  the  cross,  the  request  of  the  thief,  etc. 

Why  did  Jesus  use  the  term  “  kingdom  of  God  ”  in 
designating  His  mission,  seeing  that  it  has  been  so 
greatly  misunderstood  in  all  ages?  (1)  For  historical 
reasons,  because  it  was  dear  to  all  Jews  as  the  expres¬ 
sion  of  the  sublimest  ideal  of  Israel’s  religion  (Dan. 
2:  44;  4:  3).  Sound  pedagogy  holds  that  successful 
teaching  must  connect  any  new  ideas  as  closely  as 
possible  with  that  which  the  mind  already  possesses. 
(2)  Because  the  phrase  expresses  the  very  essence  of 
His  life-purpose  (Mark  1:  15;  John  18:  37).  (3) 

Because  Jesus,  like  all  successful  teachers,  reformers 
and  leaders  of  the  people,  appreciated  the  value  of  a 
dynamic  slogan  for  arousing  and  inspiring  the  masses. 

Note.  Examples  of  powerful  historical  slogans :  The  Crusaders : 
“God  wills  it!”  the  Reformers:  “Justification  by  faith  alone!” 
the  American  revolutionary  leaders:  “No  taxation  without  rep¬ 
resentation!”  the  French  revolutionists  of  1789:  “Liberty,  equal¬ 
ity,  fraternity !  ”  during  the  World  War :  “  Self-determination 
and  democracy!”  the  British  Labour  Party:  “No  cake  for  any¬ 
body  till  all  have  bread !  ”  etc. 

II.  Various  Forms  of  the  Term  u  Kingdom  of 

God  ” 

1.  In  two  passages  the  word  “  kingdom  ”  is  used 
without  any  qualifying  word  (Matt.  8:  12;  13:  38)  ; 
in  three  passages,  the  kingdom  is  spoken  of  as  “  His  ” 
or  “  My  ”  kingdom  (Matt.  13:41;  16:28;  Luke 
22:  30) ;  in  three  places  it  is  called,  “kingdom  of  the 
Father  ”  ;  “  k.  of  the  righteous  ” ;  “  k.  of  the  Son  of 
Man”  (Matt.  26:  29 ;  13:  43 ;  16:  28).  In  the  rest  of 


THE  KEY- CONCEPTION 


47 


the  passages  the  use  fluctuates  between  the  forms,  “  k. 
of  heaven/’  in  Matthew,  and  “  k.  of  God,”  in  Mark 
and  Luke.  A  comparison  of  the  parallel  passages  in 
the  Synoptic  Gospels  containing  these  two  phrases  as 
well  as  the  use  in  the  Rabbinical  writings  prove  con¬ 
clusively  that  both  genitives  have  the  same  meaning, 
expressing  three  ideas:  (1)  Origin:  a  kingdom  which 
comes  from  heaven  or  God;  (2)  Character:  a  realm 
composed  of  men  governed  by  principles  which  prevail 
in  heaven;  (3)  Aim:  its  object  is  to  train  men  for 
heaven. 

2.  Which  form  did  Jesus  use ?  There  are  three 
views: — (1)  “  K.  of  Heaven,”  as  in  Matthew,  adopt¬ 
ing  the  Jewish  custom  of  avoiding  the  use  of  God’s 
name  from  fear  of  breaking  the  third  commandment ; 
(2)  “  K.  of  God,”  as  in  Mark  and  Luke,  which 
Matthew  changed  into  “  K.  of  heaven,”  because  he 
wrote  his  Gospel  for  the  Jews;  (3)  Christ  used  both 
terms  interchangeably  as  the  rabbis  did  and  as  we  do 
(Gilbert,  “  Revelation  of  Jesus,”  32). 

3.  The  term  “  kingdom  ”  in  the  various  Mew  Tes¬ 
tament  passages  is  used  either  in  the  abstract  sense  of 
rule,  royal  power,  hence  meaning  kingship  (Luke 
22:  29;  23:  42)  ;  or,  as  in  most  passages,  in  the  con¬ 
crete  sense  of  “  realm,”  sphere  of  dominion,  society 
(Matt.  5:4). 

III.  The  Historical  Roots  of  the  Term 
Kingdom  of  God 

1.  Idea  and  expression  of  “  kingdom  of  God  ”  are 
fundamental  to  Israel's  religion.  Already  in  the  crea¬ 
tion  story  matter  obeys  the  will  of  God.  In  primitive 
times,  the  people  seem  to  have  considered  Jehovah 
merely  as  their  tribal  God;  only  Israelites,  but  all  of 


48 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


them,  irrespective  of  character,  were  the  objects  of 
God’s  care  and  rule  (John  8:  33,  39).  Under  the 
influence  of  the  prophets,  Israel’s  religion  became  more 
spiritual.  Isaiah  declared  that  only  the  loyal  remnant 
was  recognized  by  Jehovah  (Isa.  6;  Rom.  chaps.  9- 
11).  During  the  period  of  foreign  rule  (beginning 
with  722  and  586  b.  c.),  Israel’s  hope  (like  that  of 
other  oppressed  nations)  centered  around  the  restora¬ 
tion  of  their  former  glorious,  often  idealized  and  ex¬ 
aggerated  past  under  David  and  Solomon.  This 
former  condition  they  expected  to  have  restored  to 
them  by  the  eagerly  expected  Messiah  during  a  reign 
described  in  the  most  vivid  and  dazzling  colours  (Isa. 
2:3;  Dan.  2:44).  And  the  darker  the  times  the 
stronger  grew  the  hope ! 

2.  The  contemporaneous  Jewish  conception  of 
God's  kingdom.  (1)  In  the  time  of  Christ,  a  few 
nobler  minds  believed  Israel’s  mission  in  the  world  to 
be  not  so  much  to  rule  over  the  Gentiles,  as  to  bring 
to  them  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God  (Luke  2:  32). 
But  the  popular  idea  of  the  kingdom  of  God  was 
thoroughly  political,  nationalistic  and  imperialistic.  It 
was  to  be  a  monopoly  of  the  lineal  descendants  of 
Abraham,  only  Jews  were  to  be  full  citizens,  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  were  merely  subjects.  The  Rabbinical  laws  were 
to  be  the  laws  of  the  land  (Matt.  11:  10;  15:  43;  Mark 
10:  37;  Acts  1:6).  (2)  This  kingdom  was  to  be  set 

up  by  a  sudden  catastrophic  intervention  of  God,  either 
by  Jehovah  directly  (Dan.  2:  14),  or  through  the 
Messiah.  The  Zealots  tried  to  hurry  on  the  cataclysm 
by  inciting  the  people  to  rebellion.  Hardly  any  one  in 
those  times  believed  in  a  gradual,  orderly  process  of  es¬ 
tablishing  God’s  rule  on  earth. 

In  this  atmosphere,  charged  with  Messianic  elec- 


THE  KEY-CONCEPTION 


49 


tricity,  John  the  Baptist  and  Jesus  carried  on  their 
ministry.  This  explains,  (1)  the  tremendous  excite¬ 
ment  aroused  by  their  proclamation  that  the  kingdom 
of  God  was  at  hand,  and  (2)  the  ease  with  which  false 
Messiahs  found  always  ready  followers. 

Questions: 

1.  In  what  forms  is  the  tendency  to  materialize  the  idea  of 
God’s  kingdom  still  at  work  to-day? 

2.  How  do  the  aspirations  of  Jewish  imperialism  in  Christ’s 
time  differ  from  those  of  the  imperialists  of  modern  times? 


CHAPTER  VIII 


CHRIST’S  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  KINGDOM 

OF  GOD 


Parallel  Readings: 

Freemantle,  “The  World  as  the  Subject  of  Redemption/'  1-40. 

Bruce,  “  The  Kingdom  of  God,”  43-62  and  chap.  12. 

Stalker,  “  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  chaps.  3,  4,  5  and  6. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  Modern  Student’s  Rife  of  Christ,”  80  and 
301. 

Fallett,  “The  New  State,”  258-295. 

Vedder,  “  The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democ¬ 
racy,”  29-32. 

Randall,  W.,  “  The  Golden  Rule  Republic.” 

Sinclair,  “Cry  of  Justice,”  346,  785,  842;  and  “I  love  thy 
Kingdom.” 

Rauschenbusch,  “A  Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  chap.  13. 

“Christ  and  Civilization,”  81-119. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  48-68. 

Mathews,  S.,  “  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  54-62. 

Dalman,  “Words  of  Jesus,”  156-161. 

Since  evidently  Christ’s  teaching  on  the  kingdom  of 
God  is  the  quintessence  of  His  Gospel,  it  follows  that 
no  one  is  intellectually  prepared  to  understand  Him 
adequately  until  he  has  grasped  His  real  meaning  of 
this  fundamental  conception. 

I.  Difficulties  in  Defining  Christ’s  Idea  on  the 

Kingdom  of  God 

1.  Precisely  what  Jesus  meant  by  the  “  kingdom 
of  God  ”  has  always  been  sharply  disputed.  The  rea- 

5° 


CHRIST’S  CONCEPTION 


51 


sons  for  this  contention  are  the  following:  (1)  Jesus 
Himself  never  gave  an  exact  definition  (except  in  a 
general  way,  as  in  Matt.  6:  10)  ;  partly  because  logical 
definitions  are  not  as  customary  among  Orientals  as 
with  the  Occidentals,  and  partly  because  the  root-idea 
was  quite  as  familiar  to  His  hearers,  as  are  to  us,  e.  g., 
the  general  conceptions  conveyed  by  terms  like  “  de¬ 
mocracy,”  “  liberty,”  etc.  (2)  The  term  contains  a 
figure  and  hence  is  suggestive  rather  than  expressive 
of  one  single,  sharply  limited  conception.  (3)  Jesus 
used  the  term  inclusively ,  i.  e.,  expressing  by  it  a  va¬ 
riety  of  phases  and  aspects  of  the  general  idea.  And 
this  very  wideness,  comprehensiveness  and  elasticity 
is  a  drawback  when  a  precise  definition  is  attempted. 
(Just  as  to-day  with  broad  terms  like  “  salvation,” 
“democracy,”  “socialism,”  etc.)  (4)  Jesus  put  new 
meanings  into  this  ancient  term,  differing  from  those 
connected  with  it  in  the  Old  Testament  and  contem¬ 
poraneous  Judaism.  Confusion  is  therefore  inevitable, 
unless  careful  discrimination  is  practiced.  (The 
process  of  “  converting  ”  languages  may  be  witnessed 
wherever  Christianity  has  been  accepted.)  (5)  Jesus 
may  have  modified  and  clarified  His  conceptions  in  the 
course  of  His  public  ministry,  as  growing  men  do ;  He 
certainly  shifted  the  emphasis  from  one  phase  to  the 
other  as  occasion  demanded.  (6)  The  great  idea,  and 
even  the  very  term,  soon  passed  out  of  the  conscious¬ 
ness  of  the  Church  and  thus  its  full  meaning  was  first 
obscured  and  then  forgotten,  as  in  the  cases  of  the 
terms,  “  Gospel,”  “  salvation,”  “  saint,”  “  faith,” 
“  justification,”  etc. 

2.  The  only  method  by  which  to  get  at  the  variety 
of  meaning  of  this  rich  term  is  by  induction,  that  is, 
by  the  exegetical  process  of  first  analyzing  and  then 


52 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


grouping  the  individual  passages  in  which  the  term 
or  the  idea  occurs.  These  passages  may  be  grouped 
into  three  classes,  teaching  respectively,  (1)  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  has  come  and  is  here;  (2)  that  it  is 
coming  and  (3)  that  it  will  come. 

II.  The  Kingdom  of  God  on  Earth  a  Present 

Reality 

Christ  declares  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not 
merely  a  post-mortem  expectation,  but  a  present  and 
very  potent  reality.  It  is  present  in  and  among  men 
in  exact  proportion  as  its  principles  and  laws  are 
obeyed  and  thus  its  .blessings  enjoyed  (Luke  17 :  20, 
21;  Matt.  11:  12;  12:  28). 

In  what  sense  is  God's  kingdom  already  present? 

(1)  As  a  sublime  ideal ,  a  plan,  a  program,  a  plat¬ 
form,  to  be  accepted,  pursued  and  gradually  realized 
by  God’s  people;  not,  however,  in  the  sense  of  an  un¬ 
attainable  dream,  a  Utopia,  but  of  a  glorious  vision 
which  is  capable  of  being  actualized,  in  proportion  as 
individuals  and  social  groups  become  imbued  with  it 
(Matt.  6:  33;  13:  44-46;  19:  12  and  Bruce’s  definition 
in  his  “  Kingdom  of  God,”  252).  This  ideal  of  per¬ 
fect  and  joyful  obedience  is  already  realized,  com¬ 
pletely  in  heaven  and  partially  on  earth  (Matt.  6:  10). 

(2)  God’s  kingdom  is  already  established  on  earth 
in  the  sense  of  a  subjective  state  of  all  individuals  that 
have  been  truly  converted  and  thus  have  submitted 
their  lives  to  the  spiritualizing,  ennobling  and  sanctify¬ 
ing  control  of  God’s  will,  by  which  the  anarchy  of  war¬ 
ring  impulses,  lusts  and  passions  is  reduced  to  order  and 
the  fruits  of  the  spirit  are  growing.  This  is  known 
as  “  the  state  of  grace,”  the  individual  aspect  of  God’s 


CHRIST’S  CONCEPTION 


53 


kingdom,  or  heaven  in  the  soul  (Luke  17:20-21; 
Mark  10:  15;  Matt.  5:  3;  13:44-46;  25:  34,  46;  John 
3:  5,  15,  16;  Gal.  5:  22;  Rom.  5:  1-14). 

(3)  God’s  kingdom  is  present  in  the  sense  of  a  so¬ 
ciety,  composed  of  converted  individuals,  willing  to 
have  their  political  and  social  life  controlled  by  the 
spirit,  the  constitution  and  the  laws  of  God’s  kingdom. 
This  is  known  as  the  social  aspect  and  conception  of 
the  kingdom  and  is  the  logical  extension  of  the  indi¬ 
vidual  phase  (Matt.  13:  24-30;  44-50;  21:  43). 

(4)  This  aspect  of  God’s  kingdom,  as  one  to  be  es¬ 
tablished  on  earth  at  once,  was  the  outstanding  feature 
of  the  teaching  of  Christ  and  His  Apostles.  The 
“  waiting-room  ”  and  post-mortem  idea  of  religion  is 
foreign  to  the  New  Testament  and  has  robbed  the 
Church  of  great  spiritual  and  social  power  over  men 
and  institutions.  When  our  Lord  declared,  “  My  king¬ 
dom  is  not  of  this  world,”  He  meant  to  imply,  that  it 
did  not  originate  in  this  world,  was  not  founded  on  the 
principles  of  this  world,  and  will  not  use  for  its  spread 
and  protection  the  means  of  this  world;  but  He  never, 
never  meant  to  say  that  it  will  not  be  established  in  this 
world  until  in  the  far  distant  future,  or  that  it  is  only 
established  in  heaven,  to  receive  the  Christians  when 
they  die. 

(5)  The  blessings  and  privileges  of  the  kingdom  in 
its  individual  and  social  aspects  are  described  in  many 
places,  both  in  plain  and  in  figurative  language,  as 
pardon,  acceptance,  fatherly  care,  soul-rest,  life,  the 
many  fruits  of  the  spirit,  freedom  from  anxiety  (Matt. 
5:  3,  10;  6:  32,  33;  11:  28;  13:  41-46;  21:  33;  Mark 
10: 27;  Luke  19: 9;  John  3:  16). 

Note.  Wide  reading,  discussion  and  writing  on  the  many  social 
aspects  of  God’s  kingdom  should  be  encouraged  because  this 


54 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


phase  is  most  fundamental  to  Christ’s  teaching  and  is  the  one 
greatly  obscured  in  the  Church. 


III.  The  Gradual  Development  of  God’s 

Kingdom 

Christ  as  well  as  universal  experience  teach  clearly 
that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not  a  ready-made,  finished 
product  descending  from  heaven  to  earth,  suddenly 
and  miraculously,  but  a  movement  following  the  Di¬ 
vine  laws  of  progressive  development  apparent  in  all 
the  universd.  It  is  here,  in  the  beginning,  but  it  is  con¬ 
stantly  corning ,  as  to  extensive  and  intensive  expan¬ 
sion.  This  aspect  Jesus  stresses  in  the  four  pairs  of 
His  “  kingdom-parables,”  in  Matthew  13:  13  and  Mark 
4:26-28.  The  first  pair,  “The  Seed  Growing  Se¬ 
cretly  ”  and  “  The  Fourfold  Soil,”  teaches  the  dynamic 
character  of  the  Gospel,  the  gradual  unfolding  of  its 
life-germ  from  within,  without  mechanical  or  violent 
means,  and  the  influence  of  personal  and  social  en¬ 
vironment  upon  its  healthy  growth.  In  the  second 
pair,  the  “  Mustard  Seed  ”  predicts  the  extensive  and 
universal  growth  of  the  kingdom  (embracing  all  races, 
nations,  classes  and  moral  conditions,  Mark  8:  28; 
28:19),  while  the  “Leaven”  stresses  the  inwardly 
transforming  and  regenerating  influence  of  the  Gospel. 
The  pace  of  this  growth  depends  upon  the  willingness 
of  individuals  and  social  groups  to  submit  their  con¬ 
duct  to  the  laws  of  the  kingdom.  Some  have  under¬ 
stood  Christ  to  mean  that  the  kingdom  was  to  be  co¬ 
extensive  with  all  society,  so  that  the  whole  world 
would  be  so  thoroughly  transformed  by  the  principles 
and  practices  of  God’s  rule  as  to  cease  to  be  distinct 
from  it.  Then  the  Church  would  become  superfluous 
and  would  cease  to  exist  as  a  separate  organization 


CHRIST’S  CONCEPTION 


55 


(Rev.  21:22;  Vollmer,  “  The  Reformation/’  91). 
The  third  pair,  the  parables  of  the  “  Merchant  ”  and 
of  the  “  Husbandman,”  teach  that  the  kingdom  is  of 
supreme  value  to  men  and  must  be  appropriated  by  a 
distinct  act  of  man’s  will  and  at  any  cost.  The  fourth 
pair,  the  “  Tares  ”  and  the  “  Dragnet  ”  predicts  that 
there  will  be  a  constant  conflict  between  the  pure  and 
impure  elements  in  the  world  and  the  children  of  the 
kingdom  must  courageously  weather  the  storm. 

IV.  The  Glorious  Consummation  of  the 

Kingdom 

When  thinking  of  the  perfection  of  God’s  kingdom 
on  earth  Jesus  predicted:  “  It  zvill  come.”  This  is 
known  as  the  eschatological  aspect  of  the  kingdom 
(Matt.  6:10;  7:21,  23;  8:11;  13:40-43;  26:29; 
Mark  9:1). 

Note.  Modern  scholarship  has  offered  other  interpretations  of 
the  various  sayings  of  Christ  on  the  kingdom  of  God  and  allied 
subjects,  (i)  Some  hold  that  from  first  to  last  Jesus  held  the 
extreme  Jewish  Apocalyptic  views  regarding  the  kingdom  of  God, 
namely,  that  it  would  fall  down  from  heaven  ready-made,  by  a 
sudden  catastrophe;  that  this  would  happen  during  His  lifetime 
and  that  He  was  the  promised  Messiah  to  set  up  the  new  king¬ 
dom.  This  being  Christ’s  view,  all  passages  that  are  not  clearly 
eschatological  and  catastrophic  are  to  be  rejected  as  the  mistaken 
reports  of  the  Gospel  writers  or  their  sources.  This  view  either 
rests  on  the  belief  that  Christ  was  a  mere  man,  subject  to  error, 
or  it  is  explained  by  the  “  Kenotic  Theory,”  according  to  which 
Christ  laid  aside  His  omniscience  during  the  period  of  His  incar¬ 
nation  (Phil.  2:5-11;  Mark  13:32;  Acts  1:7).  (2)  Others  hold 

the  opposite  view,  namely,  that  Christ  in  all  His  sayings  on  the 
subject  represented  the  kingdom  of  God  exclusively  as  a  social, 
spiritual  and  already  present  community  of  God-controlled  men, 
and  that  He  was  entirely  free  from  Jewish  Apocalyptic  ideas. 
But  the  primitive  Church  and  the  writers  of  our  Gospels  uncon- 


56 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


sciously  coloured  some  of  the  passages  by  their  own  Apocalyptic 
predilections.  (3)  Still  others  distinguish  different  stages  in 
Christ’s  doctrinal  development,  holding  that  during  His  earlier 
ministry  Christ  was  an  apocalyptic,  but  when  His  early  hopes  were 
disappointed  He  developed  the  more  spiritual  aspect  of  God’s 
kingdom  as  a  present  reality;  or  that  He  stressed  the  idea  that 
the  cataclysm  was  yet  in  the  future,  though  very  near.  This 
view  is  exegetically  untenable,  because  both  aspects  of  the  king¬ 
dom,  the  present  and  the  future,  run  side  by  side  through  the 
entire  teaching  of  Christ,  yea,  are  even  embraced  in  one  and  the 
same  passage  (Mark  10: 15;  Luke  18:  17). 

We  believe  our  interpretation  is  truer  to  the  sources. 
History  offers  many  illustrations  of  how  great  revolu¬ 
tions — of  a  bloody  or  a  quiet  character — have  worked 
silently  for  longer  or  shorter  periods.  Then  when  the 
undermining  process  had  gone  far  enough,  the  old 
structure  caved  in,  either  in  a  spectacular  way  as  in 
the  upheavals  of  the  Roman  Empire,  the  Reformation, 
the  English,  American,  French,  Russian  and  German 
political  revolutions,  or  in  a  silent  manner,  in  industry, 
art  and  science,  when  new  ideas  finally  became  vic¬ 
torious. 

V.  Christ’s  Social  Gospel  in  the  Apostolic 

Church 

Parallel  Readings: 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  Chap.  III. 

Dobschutz,  “  History  of  the  Apostolic  Church.” 

1.  Christ’s  ideal  for  world  regeneration  lies  clearly 
back  of  the  Apostles’  teaching,  and  they  also  use 
Christ’s  favourite  keyword,  “  kingdom  of  God,”  for 
expressing  the  essence  of  the  Gospel  (Acts  8:  12; 
14:  22;  19:  8;  20:  25;  28:  23,  31;  James  2:  5;  1  Cor. 
4:  20;  15:  50;  Rom.  14:  17).  Yet  compared  with  the 
Synoptic  Gospels  they  use  the  term  but  rarely:  in  Acts, 


CHRIST’S  CONCEPTION 


57 


eight;  Paul,  fifteen;  James,  five;  Peter,  two;  Hebrews, 
two,  and  Revelation,  five  times. 

2.  Reasons  for  the  paucity  of  the  term  “  kingdom 
of  God  ”  in  the  Apostolic  writings:  (1)  The  distinc¬ 
tive  conception  had  receded  from  their  consciousness; 
(2)  the  term  had  revolutionary  associations  in  the 
minds  of  Jews  and  Gentiles  (Acts  17:  7)  ;  (3)  to  the 
Gentiles,  the  thought  as  well  as  the  term  were  unfa¬ 
miliar  and  it  was  found  advisable  to  interpret  both  to 
them  by  using  different  but  synonymous  thought- 
forms  and  terms,  such  as  “  life,”  “  salvation,”  “  re¬ 
demption,”  etc.  (4)  Much  of  the  more  incisive  teach¬ 
ing  of  Christ  and  His  Apostles  may  have  been  sup¬ 
pressed  later  (Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the 
Social  Crisis,”  95-97). 

3.  The  twofold  sense  in  which  the  Apostles  chiefly 

use  the  term  “  kingdom  of  God  ”  are:  (1)  As  a  pres¬ 
ent  individual  and  social  possession  (Rom.  14:  17;  1 
Cor.  4:  20;  Col.  1:  13).  (2)  As  a  future  condition 

and  blessing  on  a  renovated  earth  and  in  heaven  (1 
Thess.  2:  12;  2  Tim.  4:  18;  2  Peter  1:  11). 

4.  The  immediacy  of  the  future  phase  of  the  king¬ 
dom  loomed  so  largely  in  the  hopes  of  the  Apostolic 
Church  that  the  New  Testament  contains  over  three 
hundred  passages  alluding  to  Christ’s  speedy  and  visi¬ 
ble  return  to  earth  for  the  purpose  of  completing  the 
establishing  of  God’s  kingdom  (Rev.  8:  18-25;  Rev. 
20  and  22). 

5.  Social  Work  of  the  Apostolic  Church.  While 
waiting  for  Christ’s  glorious  return  the  Apostles  and 
other  leaders  strengthened  and  extended  the  “  brother¬ 
hood  ”  founded  by  Christ.  They  withdrew  their  con¬ 
verts  from  their  former  religious  associations  (the 
Jews  gradually,  but  the  Gentiles  promptly),  organiz- 


58 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


ing  them  into  “  churches.”  These  were  really  social 
organizations  on  a  religious  basis,  exhibiting  strong 
community  features,  such  as  economic  communism 
(Acts  2  and  4),  and  jurisdiction  even  in  secular  mat¬ 
ters  (1  Cor.  6:  1-11).  Almost  all  of  our  modern 
social  problems  were  pressing  upon  them  also,  and  the 
book  of  Acts  and  the  epistles  give  a  graphic  view  of 
actual  social  conditions  in  the  Apostolic  Churches,  and 
show  how  skilfully  the  primitive  church  leaders 
handled  these  knotty  problems  of  marriage  and  divorce, 
woman’s  rights,  slavery,  the  relation  to  government, 
the  conflict  between  capital  and  labour,  poverty,  etc. 


CHAPTER  IX 


CONSTITUTION  AND  LAWS  OF  THE  KINGDOM 

OF  GOD 

Parallel  Readings: 

Hastings,  “  Dictionary  of  Christ  and  the  Gospels,”  II,  290 
(“Originality”)  and  II,  607  (“  Sermon  on  the  Mount”). 

Plarnack,  “  What  is  Christianity?  ” 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “The  Modern  Student’s  Life  of  Christ,”  116- 
124,  288. 

Ross,  G.  A.,  “The  Universality  of  Jesus.” 

Friedlander,  “The  Jewish  Sources  of  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount.” 

Brewster,  H.,  “  The  Simple  Gospel.” 

King,  H.,  “The  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  191-275. 

Votaw,  Art.,  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  in  extra  vol.  of  Hastings* 
Bible  Dictionary. 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Riving,”  56-59  (Golden 
Rule). 

Brown,  C.  R.,  “  The  Religion  of  a  Layman.” 

Strong,  “New  World  Religion,”  122-185. 

Schullerus,  D.  Adolf,  “  Die  Bergrede  in  Predigt  und  Unter- 
richt.” 

Bruce,  “  Kingdom  of  God,”  63-84. 

Heuver,  “Teaching  of  Jesus  on  Wealth,”  197-198  (“Origi¬ 
nality  ”). 

“Die  Bergpredigt  bei  Luther,  Eine  Studie  zum  Verhaltnis  von 
Christentum  und  Welt.” 

Baumgart'en,  O.,  “  Bergpredigt  und  Kultur  der  Gegenwart  ” 
(Rel.  Volksbiicher). 

Lichtenfeld,  “  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  in  the  Light  of  Con¬ 
temporary  Jewish  Thought.” 

I.  The  Constitution  of  the  Kingdom  of  God 

1.  The  Christian  life  of  the  citizens  of  the  kingdom 

59 


60 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


of  God  is  not  created  and  their  conduct  is  not  to  be 
regulated  by  external  laws  and  rules,  but  by  the  in¬ 
dwelling  of  the  Holy  Spirit  creating  a  disposition  to 
please  God  (Rom.  8:9,  14,  15;  2  Cor.  3:  6;  5:  14). 
This  Divine  life  in  the  souls  of  men,  however,  has  as 
a  matter  of  course  developed  in  the  long  history  of 
God’s  dealings  with  mankind  definite  ethical  princi¬ 
ples,  moral  laws  and  rules  of  right  conduct.  In  their 
purest  form  these  are  contained  in  the  New  Testament. 
Their  function  is  not  to  create  Divine  life,  but  to  serve 
as  ideals,  standards  and  guides  (Rom.  8:3;  Matt. 
5:  3-9;  Rom.  6:  1-14).  Only  in  this  sense  may  we 
speak  of  them  as  the  constitution  and  laws  regulating 
the  affairs  of  God’s  kingdom. 

2.  About  the  summer  a.  d.  28,  when  His  popularity 
stood  at  its  height,  Jesus  organized  His  forces  by 
appointing  twelve  of  His  disciples  as  Apostles  and  by 
laying  down  the  fundamental  principles  of  His  teach¬ 
ing  in  what  is  known  by  the  non-committal  designation 
of  the  “  Sermon  on  the  Mount,”  but  which  should 
rather  be  called  “  The  Constitution  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God.”  This  discourse  is  undoubtedly  the  most  im¬ 
portant  document  of  Christianity  and  should  be  con¬ 
sidered  the  charter  of  the  Church,  containing  the  sum¬ 
mary  of  Christ’s  teaching  and  thus  occupying  in  the 
New  Testament  the  place  which  in  the  Old  Testament 
is  held  by  the  Ten  Commandments, 

Note  I.  As  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  the  rest  of  Christ’s 
teachings  contain  many  echoes  of  the  Old  Testament  and  Rabbin¬ 
ical  ideas  the  question  has  been  raised,  as  to  what  extent  and  in 
what  sense  Christ’s  teaching  is  original.  In  deciding  such  a 
question  we  must  keep  in  mind  that  with  Jesus,  as  with  all  great 
men,  originality  consisted  not  in  “  rootlessness  ”  of  teaching,  nor 
in  giving  expression  to  novel  ideas,  nor  in  using  sensational 
language,  but  rather  in  that  well-known  but  indefinable  secret  of 


CONSTITUTION  AND  LAWS 


61 


personality,  “  in  His  ability  to  separate  the  true  from  the  false,  the 
permanent  from  the  transient,  the  perfect  from  the  imperfect, 
and  to  bring  this  whole  winnowed  circle  of  ideas  to  their  ideal 
expression”  (Votaw).  Carlyle  has  said  that  that  man  is  the 
most  original,  who  is  able  to  adapt  from  the  greatest  number  of 
sources.  Wellhansen  remarks:  “The  originality  of  Jesus  con¬ 
sists  in  His  ability  to  single  out  what  was  true  and  eternal  from  a 
chaotic  mass  of  rubbish  and  express  it  in  a  spirit  and  with  an 
emphasis  never  before  nor  since  done.”  Any  one,  therefore,  who 
with  sufficient  spiritual  and  intellectual  preparation  will  compare 
the  spirit  and  fundamental  teaching  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa¬ 
ments  will  undoubtedly  come  to  the  conclusion  of  Nicodemus 
and  of  the  greatest  intellects  of  the  past  two  millenniums  that 
Jesus  is  preeminently  “a  teacher  come  from  God”  (John  3:1). 

Note  2.  On  the  critical  questions  concerning  the  sources,  the 
integrity  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  etc.,  articles  in  Bible  Dic¬ 
tionaries  and  hives  of  Christ  may  be  consulted. 

II.  Outline  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 

Matthew,  chapters  5-7 ;  Luke  6 :  20-49. 

Subject:  The  Principles  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  set 
forth  in  Contrast  with  the  Spirit  of  the  Times. 

I.  The  Citizens  of  the  Kingdom  (Matt.  5:  3-16; 
Luke  6:  20-26). 

1.  Their  character,  as  the  source  of  their 
happiness  and  privileges  (Matt.  5:  3-12; 
Luke  6:  20-26). 

2.  Their  Mission  in  the  World;  purification 
and  illumination.  As  salt  is  used  to  keep 
the  food  wholesome,  so  Christians  were  to 
sweeten  the  life  of  their  community 
(Matt.  5:  13-16). 

II.  The  Relation  of  Christ’s  Gospel  to  the  Old  Tes¬ 
tament  Religion.  The  Gospel  demands  a  larger 
fulfillment  of  the  law,  an  inner  righteousness,  a 
more  spiritual  interpretation  (Matt.  5:  17-48; 
Luke  6:  27-42). 


62 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


1.  The  Gospel  is  the  perfection  of  the  Mosaic 
Low.  Christ  denies  the  charge  of  reject¬ 
ing  the  principles  of  the  law,  affirms  its 
validity  but  demands  a  more  profound 
obedience  (Matt.  5:  17-20).  The  right¬ 
eousness  of  the  Pharisees  was  hollow  and 
unreal  (Matt.  23:  2,  3). 

2.  Illustrations  showing  what  true  obedience 
to  the  deeper  meaning  of  the  law  and  what 
the  higher  righteousness  of  the  Gospel  in¬ 
volves  (Matt.  5:  21-48). 

( a )  Not  only  no  killing,  but  no  spirit 
of  hatred  and  animosity,  mani¬ 
fested  in  anger  and  bitter  language 
(Matt.  5:  21-26). 

O)  Not  only  no  physical  adultery,  but 
no  impurity  of  thought  (Matt. 
5:  27-32).  For  the  sake  of  purity 
no  sacrifice  is  too  great.  Jesus  re¬ 
belled  against  the  low  view  of 
woman  and  demanded  real  protec¬ 
tion  for  her. 

(O  No  oaths,  but  simple  truthfulness 
at  all  times  (Matt.  5:  33-37). 
Christ  sweeps  away  the  false  idea 
that  only  an  oath  pledged  a  man  to 
tell  the  truth  (5:  33  is  a  combina¬ 
tion  of  Lev.  19:  12;  Num.  30:  2 
and  Deut.  23:  21). 

(d)  Not  only  no  retaliation  but  service 
outrunning  even  selfish  demands 
(Matt.  5:  38-42).  To  press  in 
this  passage  what  are  mere  illus¬ 
trations  for  the  purpose  of  ridicul- 


CONSTITUTION  AND  LAWS 


63 


ing  this  grandest  of  all  moral  pre¬ 
cepts  betrays  little  knowledge  of 
psychology  and  history. 

(0  Not  limited  but  universal  love,  like 
God’s  love  (Matt.  5:  43-48).  The 
phrase,  “  hate  thy  enemy  ”  is  not 
found  in  the  law,  but  was  consid¬ 
ered  a  logical  inference:  “  Whoso¬ 
ever  is  not  my  neighbour,  may  be 
hated.”  According  to  5:45,  di¬ 
vine  sonship  from  God’s  side  be¬ 
longs  to  all  men  irrespective  of 
moral  character;  by  conversion  a 
man  is  to  realize  and  respond  to  it. 

III.  Fundamental  Principles  of  the  “  Kingdom-Re¬ 
ligion”  (Matt.  6:  1-34).  Chapter  five  having 
set  forth  the  indispensable  character  demanded  of 
all  citizens  of  the  kingdom,  chapter  six  sharply 
criticizes  the  low  religious  ideals  of  the  Jews  and 
the  works  of  righteousness  practiced  by  them. 

1.  Sincerity  and  purity  of  motive  in  religious 
exercises,  illustrated  by  almsgiving,  prayer 
and  fasting  (Matt.  6:  1-18).  The  “vain 
repetitions  ”  refer  to  1  Kings  18 :  26.  The 
Lord’s  prayer  is  an  epitome  of  the  Gospel. 
While  even  Theodore  Zahn  concedes  that 
most  of  its  separate  phrases  can  be  par¬ 
alleled  from  Jewish  sources,  yet  as  a  whole 
the  prayer  remains  unique.  Compare  the 
two  versions  in  Matthew  and  Luke. 
Analyze  the  petitions. 

2.  Right  Conduct  Toward  God  (Matt. 
6:  19-34). 

(a)  Single-hearted  loyalty,  with  no  di- 


64 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


vided  allegiance;  men  must  not 
have  two  objects  in  life.  A  warn¬ 
ing  against  the  vice  of  avarice,  so 
common  among  the  Pharisees 
(Matt.  6:  19-24). 

m  Trust  in  God  for  all  our  needs. 
Undue  anxiety  betrays  distrust 
(Matt.  6:  25-34). 

3.  Right  Conduct  Toward  Men  (Matt.  7 :  1- 
12).  The  first  fourteen  verses  are  a  loose 
series  of  sententious  sayings,  not  very 
closely  connected  with  the  preceding. 

(a)  No  self-righteous  censoriousness, 
which  was  the  weak  point  of  the 
Pharisees  (Matt.  7:  1-5). 

(Jo)  Self-respecting  discrimination  in 
our  zeal  to  please  others  (Matt. 
7:  6). 

[(C)  Ask  for  wisdom  of  God  to  deal 
rightly  with  men  (Matt.  7:  7-11). 
A  father  never  disappoints  his  chil¬ 
dren. 

!(<*)  Follow  the  Golden  Rule  as  a  safe 
guide  to  right  conduct  (Matt. 
7:12).  In  negative  form  this 
rule  is  found  in  Tobit  14:  15: 
“  And  what  thou  thyself  hatest,  do 
to  no  man,”  and  in  Hillel’s  tract 
on  the  “  Sabbath,”  31a:  “  What  is 
hateful  to  thee,  do  not  to  thy  neigh¬ 
bour,”  and  Ecclus  31:  15  reads: 
“  Consider  thy  neighbour’s  liking 
by  thine  own.”  Similar  proverbs 
are  found  among  all  nations,  but 


CONSTITUTION  AND  LAWS 


65 


always  in  the  negative,  while  Christ 
puts  the  thought  in  the  positive 
form,  teaching  a  morality  of 
generosity. 

IV.  The  Epilogue  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
(Matt.  7:  13-27;  Luke  6:  43-49). 

An  exhortation  to  practice  the  ideal  kingdom-life  in 
three  pairs  of  contrasts:  the  broad  and  narrow  ways 
(based  on  Gen.  2:  9,  17  and  Deut.  30:  15,  16;  Ps. 
1:  6) ;  the  good  and  bad  trees,  and  the  well-  and  ill- 
built  house. 

1. N  Realize  that  entrance  into  God’s  kingdom 

is  difficult  (Matt.  7:  13-14). 

2.  The  more  so,  as  there  are  many  false 
guides  (Matt.  7:  15). 

3.  Remember  that  the  acid  test  as  to  the 
kingdom-life  is  works,  not  words;  prac¬ 
tice,  not  profession  (Matt.  7:  16-23). 

4.  The  only  lasting  foundation  for  individual 
and  group  salvation  is  obedience  to  the 
Gospel  of  the  kingdom  (Matt.  7 :  24-27). 

Questions: 

1.  Does  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  teach  new  truths,  not  found 
in  the  Old  Testament? 

2.  For  what  kind  of  people  is  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  meant 
to  be  the  law? 

3.  Is  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  livable,  that  is,  realizable  on 
earth? — also  under  present  economic  conditions? 

III.  The  Three  Fundamental  Laws  of  God’s 

Kingdom 

Parallel  Readings : 

King,  H.  C.,  “The  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  30  (on  “Love”). 

Speer,  R.,  “  Principles  of  Jesus,”  49,  199. 

Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  VI,  310 
(Golden  Rule). 


66 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Poems  and  Quotations:  Whittier,  “O  Brother  Man;”  Tolstoy, 
“In  a  Siberian  Church”  (“Cry  of  Justice,”  374). 

Drummond,  PI.,  “  The  Greatest  Thing  in  the  World.” 

Rauschenbusch,  “Dare  We  to  be  Christians?” 

In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  throughout  the 
entire  New  Testament  three  laws  or  principles  are 
constantly  emphasized  as  fundamental  and  essential  to 
the  Christian  life — the  law  of  love,  the  law  of  service 
and  the  law  of  sacrifice,  all  three  being  summed  up  in 
the  Golden  Rule. 

1.  The  Law  of  Love  (Matt.  7:21-23;  Matt. 
10:  34-40;  Rom.  13:  8-10;  14:  10;  1  Cor.  13:  1-3;  1 
John  4:  20).  (1)  Love  is  the  law  of  the  origin  and 

maintenance  of  life  in  the  whole  universe,  animal, 
plant  and  mineral  life  included.  (2)  A  clear  distinc¬ 
tion  should  be  made  between  love  as  a  natural  instinct 
in  parents,  especially  mothers,  friends  and  members  of 
opposite  sexes,  and  ethical  love.  Love  in  the  first  sense 
is  prompted  by  natural  affinities  without  any  effort. 
Being  inspired  by  the  object  of  its  affection,  it  is  non- 
moral  and  in  constant  danger  of  becoming  even  im¬ 
moral.  Christian  love,  on  the  other  hand,  is  not  a 
spontaneous  growth,  but  an  acquired  state  of  charac¬ 
ter;  an  expression  of  the  Divine  life  in  the  soul,  the 
foremost  fruit  of  the  Spirit.  Its  development  costs 
continuous  effort  and  a  determined  struggle  with  in¬ 
nate  selfishness.  It  is  not  a  fleeting  emotion,  but  resides 
in  man’s  will  as  a  consciously  formed  determination  to 
do  right  to  everybody  (including  the  degraded  and 
even  one’s  enemies),  as  a  matter  of  principle  and  from 
a  sense  of  duty.  It  is  disinterested  and  frequently 
not  at  all  inspired  by  its  object.  It  is  the  source  as 
well  as  the  expression  of  the  highest  morality.  As 
human  nature  is  controlled  by  selfishness,  Christian 


CONSTITUTION  AND  LAWS 


67 


love  needs  constant  nurture.  The  objects  of  our  love 
should  be  God,  ourselves,  our  blood-relations,  the 
brotherhood  and  the  various  social  groups,  including 
one's  personal,  business  and  national  enemies.  Luke 
10:25-28  coordinates  love  to  God  and  our  fellow- 
men,  declaring  love  to  men  to  be  as  necessary  to  saf- 
vation  as  love  to  God,  while  Matthew  25 :  40  and  1 
John  4:  12-20  even  stress  that  our  love  to  the  invisi¬ 
ble  and  self-sufficient  God  can  only  be  expressed  by 
active  love  to  our  fellow-men.  How  the  standards  of 
measuring  the  strength  and  breadth  of  our  love  are 
raised  higher  and  higher  in  the  course  of  progressive 
revelation  appears  from  a  comparison  of  the  following 
passages:  Leviticus  19:  18;  Matthew  19:  19;  Luke 
10:  29;  John  13:  34. 

2.  The  Law  of  Service  is  stressed  by  Christ’s 
example  (John  13:  Iff.)  and  teaching  (Matt.  20:  28; 
Luke  22:27;  Matt.  25:40,45).  Service  is  inspired 
by  love  and  is  the  expression  of  the  law  of  interde¬ 
pendence  as  the  condition  of  human  progress.  Every 
product  of  civilization  that  we  enjoy  has  cost  a  great 
variety  of  services  rendered  by  the  dead  and  the  liv¬ 
ing  and  many  millions  to-day  are  “  serving  ”  in  untold 
capacities  for  the  benefit  of  others.  Christians  should 
seriously  work  and  pray  for  economic  conditions  when 
all  human  activity  shall  be  based  on  and  be  inspired  by, 
the  principle  of  mutual  service  instead  of  exploitation 
and  profit.  Actual  experience  shows  that  material 
profit  is  by  no  means,  the  strongest  motive  for  man’s 
best  achievements  (Strong,  Jos.,  “  The  New  World 
Religion,”  171). 

3.  The  Law  of  Sacrifice ,  as  the  climax  of  the  laws 
of  love  and  of  service.  In  this  also,  Christ  is  our 
example  and  inspiration  (John  3:  16;  Rom.  5:6,  8; 


68 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Luke  9:  23).  Without  the  shedding  of  blood — liter¬ 
ally  and  figuratively — there  is  no  redemption.  Serious 
work  for  “  kingdom  conditions  ”  have  at  all  times 
exposed  the  “  idealists  ”  to  persecution  and  death. 
The  social  gospel,  therefore,  must  magnify  the  cross  of 
Christ.  But  the  sacrifice  must  be  social ,  i.  e.y  benefit¬ 
ing  others;  not  a  self-investment  for  glory  and  success, 
nor  for  the  benefit  of  a  few  as  in  dynastic  and  com¬ 
mercial  wars. 

4.  The  Golden  Rule  (Matt.  7:  12)  sums  up  these 
three  laws  of  God’s  kingdom  in  one  tersely  expressed 
principle.  Pouget  writes:  “  The  bona  fide  application 
of  the  Golden  Rule  for  one  week  by  everybody  would 
so  change  the  world  that  it  would  be  simply  unrecog¬ 
nizable.”  But  as  yet  mankind  is  to  a  large  extent  liv¬ 
ing  under  the  “  rule  of  gold.”  (For  further  discus¬ 
sion  of  the  Golden  Rule  consult  the  outlines  of  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount. ) 

IV.  Various  Definitions  of  the  Concept, 

“  Kingdom  of  God  ” 

Having  discussed  the  various  aspects  of  the  New 
Testament  teaching  on  God’s  kingdom  we  are  prepared 
to  attempt  a  more  comprehensive  definition  of  Christ’s 
ideal  for  world  reconstruction.  We  will  first  give 
Christ’s,  Paul’s  and  our  own,  followed  by  a  few  of 
the  more  characteristic  definitions  by  recent  authors. 
(1)  Christ:  “  Thy  kingdom  come;  ”  that  means:  “  Thy 
will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.”  (2)  Paul: 
“  The  kingdom  of  God  is  not  (does  not  consist  in) 
eating  and  drinking  (ceremonialism  and  asceticism), 
but  righteousness  and  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Spirit”  (Rom.  14:  17).  (3)  Vollmer:  The  kingdom 

of  God  is  an  ideal,  but  partially  realized  society,  com- 


CONSTITUTION  AND  LAWS 


69 


posed  of  all  those  willing  to  submit  to  Divine  control, 
scattered  all  over  the  world  and  found  in  every  social 
group;  without  any  outward  organization,  forming, 
however,  a  spiritual  unity  and  a  living  organism,  being 
closely  held  together  by  the  laws  of  love,  service,  and 
sacrifice;  imperfect  here,  but  triumphant  in  the  world 
to  come.  (4)  Bdersheim:  “The  kingdom  of  God 
means  the  rule  of  God  manifested  in  and  through 
Christ,  gradually  developing  amidst  hindrances ;  trium¬ 
phant  at  Christ’s  second  coming  and  finally  perfected 
in  the  world  to  come  ”  (“  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus,” 
I,  270).  (5)  Stevens:  “The  domain  in  which  God’s 

holy  will  is  done  in  and  among  men  ”  (“New  Testa¬ 
ment  Theology,”  28).  (6)  Rauschenbusch:  “  Human¬ 
ity  organized  according  to  the  will  of  God  ”  (“A  The¬ 
ology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  142). 

For  additional  definitions  consult,  Shailer  Mathews,  “  The 
Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  29. 


V.  Defective  Conceptions  of  the  Kingdom  of 

God 

The  progress  of  “  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  ”  has 
been  retarded  partly  by  the  wrong  or  one-sided  ideas 
of  it  which  have  been  and  still  are  entertained.  The 
following  have  become  historical:  (1)  A  mere  sub¬ 
jective  state  of  conversion  of  the  individual.  Prepar¬ 
ing  the  individual  stones  for  the  reconstruction  of  the 
whole  temple  is  certainly  indispensable;  but  in  doing 
so,  the  real  aim  of  this  work,  which  is  the  regeneration 
of  society  as  a  whole,  should  never  be  lost  sight  of. 
(2)  The  visible  Church  viewed  either  (a)  as  one  closely 
organized  compact  body  (as  the  Roman  Catholics 
hold) ;  or  ( b )  as  an  abstract  unity  of  all  professing 


70 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Christians,  in  the  sense  of  “  Christendom  ” ;  or  ( c )  as 
the  “  invisible  Church,”  consisting  of  the  true  Chris¬ 
tians  in  all  churches.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  a  much 
wider  conception  than  this,  comprehending  the  ethical 
life  of  humanity  as  a  whole.  The  family,  the  state, 
industry,  business,  science,  art,  all  human  pursuits  and 
interests,  are  to  be  included  and  governed  by  its 
spirit.  (3)  In  Christ’s  mind  the  kingdom  of  God  is 
not  identical  with  nor  limited  to  a  future  “millennium,” 
for  He  teaches  most  emphatically  that  in  a  true,  though 
not  perfect  sense,  it  is  already  here,  and  according  to 
Daniel  7 :  14  it  is  an  everlasting  dominion,  “  which  shall 
not  pass  away.”  (4)  God’s  kingdom  is  not  merely  a 
political,  social  or  economic  organization,  as  the  found¬ 
ers  of  the  Holy  Roman  Empire  (800-1806),  some 
Anabaptists,  the  Scotch  Covenanters,  the  Pilgrims  and 
some  socialistic  and  communistic  bodies  believed. 
These  people  borrowed  some  of  Christ’s  social  ideals, 
but  applied  them  in  a  narrow,  materialistic  and  often 
irreligious  spirit.  (5)  “Kingdom  of  heaven”  is  not 
merely  another  name  for  the  Life  of  the  Redeemed 
in  heaven  after  death.  Heaven  is  a  part  of  God’s 
kingdom,  but  only  a  part. 

Questions : 

1.  How  far  is  Christ’s  teaching  on  the  kingdom  of  God  under¬ 
stood  by  the  average  Christian  to-day? 

2.  What  are  the  reasons  for  the  prevailing  vagueness? 

3.  In  your  opinion,  what  definite  classes  and  individuals  are 
(1)  hastening,  and  (2)  retarding  the  fuller  establishment  of 
God’s  kingdom  in  Christ’s  sense? 

VI.  The  Kingdom  of  the  World 

Parallel  Readings: 

Rauschenbusch,  “A  Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  chaps. 
8  and  9. 


CONSTITUTION  AND  LAWS 


71 


Gardner,  “The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Progress,”  86-112. 

Royce,  Josiah,  “Problems  of  Christianity.” 

Dalman,  “  Words  of  Jesus,”  162-178. 

Hastings,  “  Dictionary  of  Christ  and  the  Gospels,”  II,  the  art 
“  world  ”  and  “  worldliness.” 

Harnack,  “  Expansion  of  Christianity,”  Bk.  II,  chap.  2. 

Southard,  E.,  “  The  Kingdom  of  Evils.  Psychiatric  Social 
Work  presented  in  One  Hundred  Case  Histories.” 

The  counterpart  and  deadly  enemy  of  God’s  king¬ 
dom  is  what  the  New  Testament  calls  pregnantly, 
“  The  World  ”  or  the  “  kingdom  of  the  world.” 

1.  Here  is  another  of  Christ’s  fundamental  teach¬ 
ings  which  needs  careful  restudying  by  modern 
Christians.  By  “  world  ”  the  New  Testament  means 
much  more  than  a  few  tabooed  amusements  or  social 
indulgences.  “  The  world  ”  is  a  spiritual  organism  of 
individuals,  groups  and  institutions  controlled  by 
principles  totally  or  partially  opposed  to  the  spirit  and 
the  three  laws  of  God’s  kingdom.  Understood  in  this 
sense,  there  is  a  large  amount  of  the  “  world  ”  in  our 
Churches  and  in  all  of  our  social  institutions. 

2.  Detailed  teaching  on  the  “  World .”  (1)  The 

“  world  ”  in  its  ethical  sense  stands  in  deadly  opposi¬ 
tion  to  God  (James  4:4);  Satan  is  its  founder  and 
king  (Gen.  3:  Iff.,  6:1-6;  John  14:30;  Rev.  12). 
(2)  As  to  its  principles,  methods  and  fruits  the  world 
is  evil  (John  7:7;  Gal.  5:  19).  (3)  There  is  a  deadly 

conflict  going  on  between  the  two  kingdoms  which  will 
end  in  the  defeat  of  the  prince  of  this  world  (Matt. 
13:  38-43;  15:  13;  John  16:  33).  (4)  The  success¬ 

ful  weapon  against  the  world  in  and  among  us  is  faith 
in  Christ  (John  5:  4). 


f 


*y 


PART  III 


The  Kingdom  and 
the  Individual 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  SOCIALIZED  INDIVIDUAL 

Parallel  Readings : 

Gardner,  “The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Progress,”  1 13-157. 

Schaeffer,  W.  O.,  “The  Supreme  Revelation,”  112-135. 

Peabody,  “  The  Approach  to  the  Social  Question.” 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  198-211. 

Mathews,  S.,  “  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  chap.  2. 

Randall,  Herman,  “The  New  Eight  on  Immortality.” 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Riving, ”  27-29  and  chaps. 
4,  5  and  8. 

Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  219  (“  In¬ 
dividualism  ”  by  Eucken),  and  597. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  116-117 
(What  is  Salvation). 

Barbour,  G.  T.,  “  A  Philosophical  Study  of  Christian  Ethics  ” 
(chaps.  2  and  3  on  the  value  of  the  individual). 

Wilde,  Oscar,  “  The  Soul  of  Man  in  Modern  Socialism.” 

Abbott,  R.,  “  Christianity  and  Social  Problems,”  179-224  and 
35i. 

Robinson,  James  Harvey,  “The  Mind  in  the  Making.” 

Bruce,  “  Kingdom  of  God,”  chap.  7. 

Driver,  “  Com.  on  Genesis,”  chaps.  1-3. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  A  Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  chaps.  4, 
5  and  10. 

Dalman,  “Words  of  Jesus,”  184-194  (“Father”). 

Speer,  R.,  “  Principles  of  Jesus,”  29,  33,  37,  57,  145,  177,  181. 

Stalker,  “  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  chap.  13. 

Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  on  “  Rove,” 
“  Happiness,”  “  Hatred,”  “  Hedonism,”  “  Egoism,”  “  Conscience,” 
“Habit,”  “Antisemitism.” 


73 


74 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Poems  and  Quotations,  “  Cry  of  Justice,”  85,  227,  228,  353, 
496,  769,  777. 

I.  Christ’s  Method  of  Social  Salvation 

The  method  pursued  by  Christ  and  enjoined  upon 
His  followers  for  putting  His  kingdom-ideal  into  prac¬ 
tice  here  and  now  is  to  work  for  the  regeneration  of  the 
individual .  This  is  the  natural,  the  only  workable 
and  successful  method.  For  several  reasons:  (1)  The 
individual  is  the  unit  of  society  and  the  river  cannot 
rise  higher  than  its  fountain;  (2)  hence  the  units  must 
he  right  before  they  can  sustain  right  relations  with 
each  other.  An  organic  whole  cannot  be  better  than 
its  constituent  members.  The  social  principles  of 
Christ’s  teaching  can  only  save  society  in  proportion  as 
they  are  embodied  in  the  life  of  the  individual.  (3) 
Therefore,  whenever  God  or  good  individuals  have  in¬ 
troduced  righteous  rules  and  institutions  ahead  of  time, 
they  were  not  carried  out  in  a  righteous  spirit  because 
there  was  not  a  sufficiently  large  number  of  good  in¬ 
dividuals  to  realize  them  (Lycurgus,  Moses,  Acts 
15:  10).  Paul’s  doctrine  that  law  itself  cannot  save 
and  that  the  conduct  required  by  law  can  only  be  ful¬ 
filled  by  those  whose  hearts  have  been  changed  is 
amply  illustrated  by  the  history  of  civilization. 

Note  1.  Sound  thinkers  and  men  of  experience  have  always 
recognized  the  wisdom  of  Christ’s  method  of  world-reconstruc¬ 
tion.  Fichte  said :  “  A  perfect  society  is  only  conceivable  with 
perfect  men.”  Herbert  Spencer:  “There  is  no  social  alchemy  by 
which  you  can  get  golden  conduct  out  of  leaden  instincts.”  A 
leading  German  Socialist:  “  Christ’s  chief  efforts  were  all 
directed  toward  creating  a  new  genus  of  man  as  a  means  for 
establishing  ideal  social  conditions.”  An  American  said  to 
Lenine,  of  Russia:  “Your  whole  system  is  wrong,  for  it  rests 
on  a  false  assumption.  For  communism  to  have  a  chance  of 


THE  SOCIALIZED  INDIVIDUAL 


75 


success  you  would  have  to  have  an  exceptionally  high  standard 
of  culture  in  the  general  citizenship,  and  an  unusually  large 
supply  of  able,  honest  and  energetic  men.  But  such  an  assump¬ 
tion  is  false.” 

Note  2.  From  these  considerations  it  follows  that  three  groups 
of  modern  social  leaders  err  and  disregard  the  teaching  of  Scrip¬ 
ture,  history,  logic,  common  sense  and  daily  experience,  (i) 
Those  that'  expect  highly  developed  moral  characters  in  people 
by  mere  social  reforms  and  improvement  of  environment.  (2) 

•  Those  that  expect  the  triumph  of  righteousness  in  our  political 
and  economic  affairs  from  the  conversion  of  individuals  and  the 
cultivation  of  a  mere  private  type  of  piety,  without  definite  in¬ 
sistence  that  God  must  be  allowed  to  rule  in  the  public  as  well 
as  the  private  affairs  of  life.  (3)  Those  who  fear  that  insist¬ 
ence  on  the  “  social  '*  Gospel  might  tend  to  minimize  the  para¬ 
mount  importance  of  individual  salvation.  Both  processes  must 
work  harmoniously  together,  for  they  represent  two  aspects  of 
the  one  and  only  Gospel  the  Church  knows  of  (Gal.  1:6). 

Proceeding  to  the  details  of  Christ’s  teaching  on  the 
social  nature  and  the  mutual  relations  and  duties  of 
individuals,  we  propose  to  discuss:  (1)  man’s  physical 
constitution;  (2)  his  moral  character;  (3)  the  social 
nature  of  men  and  (4)  the  chief  social  virtues. 

II.  The  Physico-Psychical  Constitution  of  Man 

1.  Jesus  entertained  a  very  high  opinion  of  the 
intrinsic  value  and  importance  of  man  as  man,  stripped 
of  all  accidental  attributes,  such  as  race,  class,  educa¬ 
tion,  sex,  wealth,  etc.,  and  reduced  to  the  essential 
elements  common  to  all  individuals.  This  idea  of 
man’s  unique  and  imperishable  dignity  is  implied  in 
Christ’s  teaching  that  God  sent  His  Son  to  save  man; 
that  every  one,  without  distinction,  is  urged  to  enter 
God’s  kingdom;  that  Jesus  loved  man  not  only  as  a 
group  but  each  one  individually  (not  only  “  men  ”  but 
also  “man”).  In  this  estimate  of  man,  Christ  was 


76 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


far  ahead  of  His  own  and  of  all  times .  Naked  hu¬ 
manity  was  never  regarded  very  highly  by  world  stand¬ 
ards.  The  questions  have  always  been:  “Who  are 
you?  What  have  you?  What  know  you?  What 
can  you  do  ?  ” 

2.  Reasons  for  Christ's  high  estimate  of  man., 
The  New  Testament  assumes  (1)  that  man  is  a 
creature  of  God  in  a  special  sense,  without  suggesting 
any  theory  as  to  the  method  of  creation,  whether  by  a 
Divine  fiat  or  mediately.  Being  a  creature,  man  is  a 
son  of  God,  irrespective  of  moral  character  (Matt. 
5:  45;  6:  25;  12:  12;  16:  26).  (2)  Man  is  a  compos¬ 

ite  being,  composed  of  body,  soul  and  spirit ;  the  three 
faculties  of  his  mind  being  intellect,  sensibility  and  will. 
Some  passages  suggest  a  twofold  (Matt.  10:  28), 
others  a  threefold  division  of  man’s  constitution  (1 
Thess.  5:  23;  1  Cor.  15:  45,  46;  Heb.  4:  12,  13).  (3) 
Man  is  made  in  the  image  of  God  (Heb.  2:  9),  which 
fact  suggests  that  he  is  a  personality,  that  is,  a  rational 
being  possessed  of  self-consciousness  and  self-determi¬ 
nation,  both  attributes  implying  freedom  of  will  and 
responsibility  (Luke  15:  12).  (4)  Each  man  possesses 
individuality,  that  is,  peculiarities  and  characteristics, 
which  distinguish  one  personality  from  another.  Man¬ 
kind  does  not  present  the  dull  sameness  of  machine 
products,  but  an  infinite  variety  of  unique  features  in 
body,  mind  and  character.  (5)  Man  is  a  social  being. 
His  very  constitution  destines  him  for  companionship, 
to  merge  his  life  with  that  of  similar  beings,  while  re¬ 
taining,  however,  his  individuality.  In  each  person¬ 
ality  there  are  powers  which  attract  each  other  and 
form  new  substances — much  like  chemical  atoms.  So¬ 
ciety  is  not  an  aggregate  of  unrelated  individuals,  but 
an  organism  composed  of  units  drawn  together  by  the 


THE  SOCIALIZED  INDIVIDUAL 


77 


law  of  solidarity.  “  Biology  teaches  that  already  in 
the  earliest  development  of  life  there  is  a  provision  for 
sociability;  for  as  soon  as  the  primeval  cell  is  formed, 
another  grows  out  from  its  side,  and  thus  side  by  side 
with  the  struggle  for  life  begins  also  the  struggle  for 
the  life  of  another  ”  (Henry  Drummond).  Life  pre¬ 
sents  a  complicated  network  of  interrelations  and  in¬ 
terdependencies,  and  the  individual  can  carry  out  his 
life  purposes  only  in  union  and  cooperation  with 
others.  In  proof  of  all  this,  experience  shows  that 
men  must  live  together  in  order  to  keep  their  very  in¬ 
dividuality  sound  and  sane,  for  excessive  individuality 
is  twin-brother  to  insanity  and  eccentricity. 

3.  Important  Inferences  from  Christ's  Estimate  of 
Man's  Value.  (1)  Self-respect  and  respect  from  oth¬ 
ers.  What  is  considered  precious  by  Christ  should 
also  be  respected  by  the  persons  themselves  and  His 
fellows.  ( 2 )  It  discourages  self-effacement  and 
timidity.  Man  is  more  than  a  mere  part  making  up  a 
whole,  a  mere  constituent  element  of  a  nation,  the 
Church,  a  fraternal  order,  or  any  other  social 
group,  a  mere  cog  in  a  machine.  He  possesses 
value  in  himself,  in  what  he  is.  This  renders  man’s 
importance  independent  of  all  mere  accidents  of  na¬ 
tionality,  colour,  age,  sex,  wealth,  and  is  the  firm  foun¬ 
dation  for  the  ideal  of  brotherhood.  In  the  words  of 
Bums:  “  A  man’s  a  man  for  a’  that.”  (3)  It  frowns 
upon  the  “  superman  ”  theory  in  all  its  forms,  con¬ 
demning  overbearing  and  brutal  self-assertion,  political 
autocracy,  intolerance  in  Church  and  society  and  ex¬ 
ploitation  in  industry.  (4)  Christ’s  high  estimate  of 
each  individual  condemns  all  life-destroying  relics  of 
barbarism ,  such  as  the  duel,  war,  hazardous  amuse¬ 
ments,  etc.  (5)  It  strengthens  man’s  belief  in  personal 


78 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


immortality.  Man  being  so  important  a  being,  his  life 
must  project  itself  into  eternity  (1  Tim.  6:  15;  MatL 
10:  28;  22:  32)* 


III.  The  Moral  Character  of  Man  and  His 

Great  Possibilities 

1.  Christ's  teaching  on  man's  sinfulness .  The  New: 
Testament  authors  are  unanimous  in  teaching,  ex¬ 
pressly  or  by  implication,  the  fact  of  universal  sinful¬ 
ness  (Matt.  1:  21;  Luke  5:  24;  Rom.  3:  10-19 ;  1  John 
2:  2,  15,  16;  3:  12,  13;  4:  1,  4,  7,  14;  James  1:  27; 
4:4).  “  Excuse  it  as  we  may,  apologize  for  our  own 
sinfulness  as  we  will,  let  us  remember  that  the  black, 
dire  fact  is  here- — -an  opiate  in  the  will,  a  frenzy  in  the 
imagination,  a  madness  in  the  brain,  a  poison  in  the 
heart.  Culture  cannot  extract  it;  art  cannot  conceal 
it;  indifference  cannot  forego  it;  foolish  cults  cannot 
clear  it  away”  (Frederick  F.  Shannon).  (2)  Jesus 
never  defined  sin  abstractly,  but  always  viewed  and 
pictured  it  in  its  actual  manifestations.  The  self- 
righteous  priest,  the  purse-proud  miser,  the  pitiless 
priest  and  Levite,  the  merciless  servant  were  the  typical 
embodiments  of  sin  in  the  view  of  Jesus.  (3)  The 
general  nature  of  sin  crops  out  in  three  forms:  sensu¬ 
ousness,  selfishness,  godlessness  (Rauschenbusch,  “A 
Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  chap.  6).  (4)  On 

the  origin  of  sin  the  Synoptists  are  silent  but  John 
8:44;  Romans  5:12-21,  and  1  Corinthians  15:47 
trace  sin  back  to  the  fall  of  Adam  from  original 
normalcy,  while  others  hold  that  sin  is  inherent  in  im¬ 
perfect  human  nature,  and  that  its  survival  is  due  to 
arrested  development,  it  being  a  relic  of  animalism 
and  barbarism  in  man.  (5)  Sin  has  an  enslaving  effect. 


THE  SOCIALIZED  INDIVIDUAL 


79 


on  individuals  and  groups  and  leads  to  severe  punish¬ 
ment  here  and  hereafter  (John  8:  32—36). 

2.  Christ's  Teaching  on  Man's  Perfectibility . 
Jesus,  however,  enthusiastically  believed  in  the  salva- 
bility  of  sinful  man,  and  Paul  includes  even  inanimate 
nature  (John  3:  4;  1  Thess.  4:  3-7 ;  5:  23 ;  Rom.  8:  18- 
25 ;  Rev.  chaps.  21  and  22).  Christianity  has  no  sym¬ 
pathy  with  any  philosophy  which  denies  the  possibility 
of  change  in  human  nature  (Fisk,  John,  “  The  Destiny 
of  Man,”  118;  Angell,  N.,  “  The  Great  Illusion,”  200, 
362). 

3.  Conditions  and  Methods  of  Man's  Salvation . 

(1)  Repentance ,  which  involves  a  radical  change  in 
thinking  and  general  attitude  toward  God  and  man 
(Mark  1:  15).  (2)  Faith ,  in  the  sense  of  spiritual  re¬ 

ceptivity,  a  state  of  trust  in  God  (Luke  7:36-50; 
Matt.  15:21-28;  8:5-13;  Luke  17:1-10;  Kent — 
Jenks,  “  Principles  of  Living,”  120-122).  (3)  The 

change  resulting  from  repentance  and  faith  the  New 
Testament  calls  conversion ,  because  by  it  man  turns 
his  back  to  his  sinful  past;  or  regeneration ,  in  so  far 
as  it  is  an  act  of  God  and  a  biological  process  creating 
a  new  life  in  man,  gradually  weaning  him  away  from 
his  coarse  instincts  to  a  life  of  love;  or  justification, 
because  he  has  been  acquitted  by  the  Supreme  Judge; 
or  adoption  (Gal.  4:  4),  because  the  sinner  has  now 
become  an  obedient  child  in  God’s  family,  while  before 
he  was  indeed  God’s  son,  but  a  prodigal  (Luke  15 :  11 ; 
Matt.  5 :  45 ;  John  15 :  12 ;  John  6 :  32,  35 ;  1 :  12 ;  Matt. 
12:  49).  The  continuation-process  of  spiritual  train¬ 
ing  by  which  a  man  grows  in  the  graces  of  the  higher 
life  is  known  as  sanctification  (from  sanctus  and 
facio).  In  modern  terms,  this  whole  process  of  chang¬ 
ing  human  nature  might  be  called  a  reconstruction  of 


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true  manhood  or  the  development  of  a  good  character. 
The  Bible  name  for  this  whole  process  is  salvation, 
which  denotes  deliverance  from  sin  and  the  bestow- 
ment  of  spiritual  blessings  here  and  hereafter.  Jesus 
prefers  the  phrase:  “  entering  into  the  kingdom  of 
God.” 

4.  The  Scope  of  Christ's  Salvation.  Christ’s  plan 
of  salvation  includes  everything.  “  He  came  to  make 
his  blessings  known  far  as  the  curse  is  found  ”  (Rom. 
5:  15-19).  The  “world”  in  its  most  comprehensive 
sense,  including  nature,  is  the  subject  of  salvation. 
Hence,  even  the  rescue  work  which  centers  in  the 
individual  must  be  saturated  through  and  through  by 
the  social  ideal  and  spirit.  We  are  saved  not  merely 
to  enjoy  personal  freedom  from  sin  or  happiness  in 
rapturous  feelings;  but  in  order  to  help  save  the  whole 
world;  and  not  only  in  Africa  and  Asia,  but  also  in 
America,  in  our  factories  and  commercial  centers. 
“  Social  ”  salvation  will  not  follow  individual  salva¬ 
tion  as  a  matter  of  course ;  the  Church  must  definitely 
plan  for  and  urge  it  upon  society. 

Note.  Poor  substitutes  for  Christ’s  method  of  individual  and 
world  salvation  are  constantly  urged  upon  the  Church;  but  they 
are  not  only  ineffective,  they  are  positively  dangerous,  produc¬ 
ing  just  the  opposite  results  from  what  Christ’s  salvation  will 
accomplish.  Some  of  these  are:  (i)  Physical  and  moral  force 
in  the  form  of  war  and  other  oppressions ;  (2)  Enlightened  seif- 
interest,  in  the  form  of  welfare  work;  (3)  Culture  and  Civilisa¬ 
tion,  forms  of  government,  science,  art,  literature,  and  philosophy 
(Shailer  Mathews,  “  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  chaps.  8  and  9). 


CHAPTER  XI 


THE  ETHICAL  AND  SOCIAL  CONDUCT  OF  MAN 

Parallel  Readings : 

Drummond,  H.,  “  The  Greatest  Thing  in  the  World.” 

Rauschenbusch,  W.,  “  Dare  We  to  be  Christians  ?  ” 

Speer,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  57,  181. 

Johnson,  Ernest  F.,  “  The  Social  Gospel  and  Personal  Religion, 
Are  They  in  Conflict?” 

Moore,  “  Hindrances  to  Happiness.”" 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Riving,”  52-54. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  A  Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  31-57. 

Hunting,  Harold  B.,  “  Christian  Rife  and  Conduct.” 

Roberts,  “Social  Etiquette”  (Putnam). 

Post,  Emily,  “  Etiquette,  In  Society,  Business,  Politics,  and  at 
Home.” 

I.  The  Chief  Social  Virtues 

An  unerring  proof  of  personal  and  social  salvation 
is  the  presence  of  the  “  fruits  of  the  spirit  love,  joy, 
peace,  long-suffering,  kindness,  goodness,  faithfulness, 
meekness,  self-control  (Gal.  5:  22,  23),  in  some  state 
of  development,  in  the  lives  of  individuals  and  in  social 
groups,  such  as  the  family,  the  state,  industry,  labour 
unions,  churches,  Wall  Street  offices,  and  the  nation. 
A  distinction  between  individual  and  social  virtues  may 
be  made  in  thought,  but  they  cannot  be  sharply  sepa¬ 
rated  in  actual  life,  for  no  act  is  so  personal  that  it 
does  not  affect  others. 

1.  The  virtue  most  characteristic  of  Christ’s  Chris¬ 
tianity  is  love.  (Consult  chap.  9  for  a  discriminating 
discussion.)  Cove  is  not  one  virtue  among  others  of 
equal  value,  but  the  source,  spirit  and  regulating  ele- 

81 


82 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


ment  of  all  the  other  virtues,  just  as  the  root  of  all 
evils  from  which  mankind  has  always  been  suffering 
is  lovelessness  and  hatred  (Matt.  22:  34-40).  (2) 

Love  is  Christ’s  standard  of  orthodoxy  and  “  ortho¬ 
practice  ”  (Matt.  7:21  and  7:16-20;  Luke  10:27- 
28;  Matt.  25:31-46;  1  Cor.  13;  Rom.  13:8-10). 
(3)  Christ  exalts  man’s  obligation  to  love  his  fellow 
to  an  equal  plane  with  his  duty  to  love  God  (Matt. 
22:  39,  “  a  second  like  unto  it").  Yea,  says  He,  the 
only  possible  way  to  express  your  love  to  God  is 
through  loving  men  (Matt.  25:  31-46;  Vollmer,  “  The 
Reformation,”  58).  Paul  holds  that  love  to  the  neigh¬ 
bour  carries  with  it  love  to  God  (Gal.  5:  14).  (4) 

Christian  love  must  embrace  the  family,  the  brother¬ 
hood,  special  friends,  all  men,  even  our  enemies  (Matt. 
7:  12;  5:  43-47;  Rom.  13:  8-10). 

Note.  Opposed  to  love  are  the  three  meanest  social  vices, 
which  are  very  prevalent.  Discontent  is  the  feeling  of  dissat¬ 
isfaction  growing  out  of  looking  on  the  things  we  do  not  have 
with  eyes  of  jealousy  and  envy,  while  covetousness  refers  espe¬ 
cially  to  an  inordinate  desire,  uncontrolled  by  conscience,  to  ac¬ 
quire  the  things  another  possesses.  Here  lie  the  roots  of  many 
private  quarrels  and  public  wars.  Especially  the  unsocial  vice  of 
jealousy  makes  life  miserable  to  most  people  in  all  stations  of  life. 
It  should,  therefore,  be  fought,  negatively,  in  the  teaching  and 
training  of  the  individual  and,  positively,  by  encouraging  fair 
impartial  treatment  in  all  social  relations.  The  rich,  the  leading 
men  in  schools  and  business  should  recognize  their  responsibility 
in  discouraging  jealousy  by  positive  measures.  No  amount  of 
preaching  and  exhortation  will  improve  matters,  if  the  poor  see 
that  a  few  enjoy  all  the  good  things  of  this  world;  or  if  the 
teacher  notices  that  the  principal  has  his  pets,  or  the  student 
that  the  professor  is  not  entirely  fair  in  distributing  the  prizes, 
etc.  heading  men,  especially  presiding  officers  in  church,  Sunday 
school  and  meetings  should  be  very  scrupulous  in  letting  the 
honours  go  around  and  thus  kill  by  fair  treatment  the  “  green- 
eyed  monster.’* 


ETHICAL  AND  SOCIAL  CONDUCT  OP  MAN  83 


2.  Love  is  the  mother  and  sustainer  of  all  the 
other  virtues,  such  as  kindness  (1  Cor.  13:  4)  which 
denotes  that  manifestation  of  love  which  disposes  man 
to  be  tender,  humane  and  obliging  and  may  express 
itself  in  words,  manners  and  actions.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  attractive  social  virtues  and  should  be  culti¬ 
vated,  (1)  because  it  is  a  divine  element  in  human 
nature,  (2)  because  it  is  good  policy,  for  it  works  like 
a  charm  in  family,  school,  church,  office,  factory,  etc. 
Harshness  is  unsocial  and  very  expensive.  Shake¬ 
speare  said:  “I  do  fear  thy  nature  is  too  full  of 
the  milk  of  human  kindness.”  There  is  no  occasion 
for  such  fear  in  average  society.  Leaders  in  social 
and  political  reform  movements  must  of  necessity  be 
men  of  firmness.  But  they  cannot  attain  the  highest 
success,  especially  in  work  among  the  poor  and  down¬ 
cast,  unless  they  also  cultivate  the  gentler  virtues,  such 
as  compassion,  kindness,  pity,  and  friendship.  Men 
exert  a  much  stronger  influence  by  their  heart-power 
than  by  their  head  and  will  power.  (Point  out  some 
instances  of  kindness  in  the  lives  of  Jesus,  Paul,  Lin¬ 
coln,  and  others.)  Kindness  excludes  also  cruelty  to 
animals ,  for  the  animal’s  sake  and  because  of  its  effect 
on  human  character.  In  1822  the  first  law  for  the 
protection  of  animals  from  cruelty  was  passed  by  the 
British  Parliament,  and  in  1922  twenty  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can  states  had  similar  laws.  (What  about  vivisection, 
as  well  as  hunting,  fishing,  etc.,  for  mere  sport?) 

3.  Intimately  connected  with  kindness  are  the  so¬ 
cial  virtues  of  politeness,  good  manners,  courtesy,  and 
etiquette.  These  virtues  should  be  practiced  in  home, 
church,  society,  on  the  street,  at  the  table,  etc.  Christ 
has  been  called  a  “  first-class  gentleman,”  and  occasion¬ 
ally  He  rebuked  discourtesy  and  rude  table  manners 


84 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


(Luke  7:36-50;  14:7-14;  John  13:1;  Shailer 
Mathews,  “  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  162-163). 
The  nature  of  etiquette  may  be  defined  as  the  art  of 
showing  by  external  signs  the  internal  regard  we  have 
for  others.  They  consist  in  observing  the  natural  con¬ 
ventions  of  life  customary  at  the  time  among  refined 
people,  in  words  and  behaviour.  Extremes  should  be 
discouraged  because  they  are  apt  to  lead  to  insincerity. 
Brusqueness  on  the  other  hand,  and  boorishness  ought 
to  be  penalized  in  some  form.  In  family,  labour  and 
diplomatic  controversies,  it  is  frequently  not  the  ques¬ 
tions  themselves  which  make  an  agreement  difficult, 
but  the  spirit,  language  and  manners  in  which  negotia¬ 
tions  are  conducted.  A  conciliatory  spirit  and  meas¬ 
ured  language  “  will  often  adjust  industrial  grievances, 
whereas  a  haughty  attitude  on  the  part  of  capital  to¬ 
ward  labour  or  unreasonable  and  rash  demands  of  la¬ 
bour  upon  capital  will  strain  the  social  order  to  the 
point  of  disruption  ”  (Prof.  Snowden).  Another  sign 
that  the  world  is  improving  is  the  observation  that 
more  people  than  ever  before  are  interested  in  acquir¬ 
ing  the  finer  little  graces  and  the  indefinable  air  that 
bespeaks  good  manners  and  good  breeding. 

Note.  A  Gentleman.  The  New  York  Sun  recently  conducted 
an  interesting  discussion  on  the  question,  “  What  is  a  gentleman?  ” 
Here  is  one  of  the  best  answers  received:  “A  man  that’s  clean 
inside  and  out;  who  neither  looks  up  to  the  rich  nor  down  on 
the  poor;  who  avoids  liquor  and  bad  company;  who  can  lose 
without  squealing  and  win  without  bragging;  who  is  considerate 
of  women,  children  and  old  people;  kind  to  animals;  who  is  too 
brave  to  lie,  too  generous  to  cheat,  and  who  takes  his  share  of 
the  world  and  lets  other  people  have  theirs.”  What  is  there  to 
prevent  any  young  man  from  qualifying? 

4.  Christ  enjoined  unlimited  forgiveness  (Matt. 


ETHICAL  AND  SOCIAL  CONDUCT  OF  MAN  85 


18:  21-22;  Luke  17:  3-4).  In  Matthew  18:  15  Jesus 
intimates  that  the  test  of  true  brotherliness  is  that  I 
am  more  disturbed  by  the  wrong  that  I  do  to  my  fel¬ 
low-man  than  by  the  wrong  that  I  suffer  from  him. 
Hate  and  an  unforgiving  disposition  are  relics  of  ani¬ 
malism,  destroying  human  happiness,  weakening  the 
sense  of  brotherliness,  paralyzing  social  efficiency, 
closing  the  door  to  God’s  forgiveness  (Matt.  6:  12) 
and  minimizing  what  has  been  called  “  Christ’s  most 
striking  innovation  in  morality.”  For  the  phrase,  “  A 
Christian  spirit,”  is  commonly  regarded  as  synonymous 
with  the  disposition  to  forgive. 

5.  Sincerity  (“  sine  cera,”  without  a  cover  of  wax) 
and  truthfulness.  This  virtue  excludes  (1)  all  inten¬ 
tional  falsehoods  and  deceptions  in  all  relations  of  life, 
including  business,  politics  and  diplomacy;  (2)  inten¬ 
tional  half-truths  and  misleading  silence;  (3)  strong 
affirmation  and  exaggerations  (“  slang”),  in  conver¬ 
sation,  public  speech,  preaching  (avoiding  all  “  pro¬ 
fessionalism  ”),  in  print  (loud  newspaper  head-lines)  ; 
deceptive  advertising,  misrepresentation  of  goods,  etc. 
(4)  The  first  Christians  seemed  to  have  regarded  oaths 
as  a  danger  to  the  principle  of  truth  telling  in  every¬ 
day  life  (Matt.  5:  37 ;  12:  36;  James  5:  12).  (How 
so?) 

Literature : 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principle  of  Living,”  42  (On  the  use  of 
“  slang  ”). 

Questions : 

1.  What  is  the  difference  between  a  falsehood  and  a  lie? 

2.  What  do  people  mean  by  a  “white  lie”?  Are  there  any? 

3.  Why  is  a  lie  one  of  the  greatest  wrongs  to  society? 

4.  How  may  the  fear  of  “  cant  ”  stifle  a  manly  expression  of 
religion  ? 


86 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


5.  Is  truthfulness  in  business,  especially  in  advertising,  in¬ 
creasing  or  decreasing? 

6.  T olerance  is  that  virtue  which  is  willing  to  grant 
to  others  the  same  rights  of  belief  and  expression 
which  we  claim  for  ourselves  (Matt.  7:1;  Mark  9 :  38- 
41).  It  discourages  all  selfish  exclusiveness,  party- 
shibboleths,  self-righteous  censoriousness  and  fault¬ 
finding.  What  a  different  sort  of  world  we  would  be 
living  in  if  each  one  had  respect  for  his  neighbour’s 
“  peculiar  ”  way  of  seeking  happiness!  How  many 
useless  and  soul-destructive  conflicts  could  have  been 
avoided  throughout  the  ages  if  this  gift  had  been  the 
common  heritage  of  man! 

Questions : 

1.  Why  do  people  equally  sincere  and  intelligent  so  widely 
differ  in  their  opinions  on  important  issues? 

2.  By  what  test  can  independence  of  judgment  be  distinguished 
from  obstinacy? 

3.  What  is  the  difference  between  religion  and  theology  or 
orthodoxy? 

4.  Why  does  bigotry  make  men  morally  unreliable  ? 

7.  N on-resentment  and  Non-resistance  (Matt. 
5:  38-42).  The  real  meaning  of  this  precious  teach¬ 
ing  is  often  obscured  to  well-meaning  people  by  put¬ 
ting  a  too  literal  interpretation  on  the  illustrations  used 
by  Christ  to  explain  it,  while  the  militarists  and  other 
believers  in  brutality  and  violence  try  to  make  the 
precept  ridiculous.  Sincere  followers  of  Christ  should, 
however,  never  forget  that  the  spirit  of  non-resistance 
is  one  of  the  most  fundamental  principles  by  which 
Christ’s  religion  differs  from  most  others.  (2)  To  get 
at  the  true  interpretation  of  this  teaching  one  must 
take  into  consideration:  (a)  its  oriental  garb  and  its 
rhetorical  form  of  exaggerating  a  truth  for  the  pur- 


ETHICAL  AND  SOCIAL  CONDUCT  OF  MAN  87 


pose  of  emphasizing  its  real  point.  Our  Lord  Himself 
did  not  carry  out  this  injunction  literally  (John  18:  22 — 
23)  ;  ( b )  the  fact  that  its  application  refers  mainly  to 
the  conduct  of  individuals ,  and  only  secondarily  to 
groups  of  men  and  nations;  (c)  that  it  points  first  of 
all  to  man's  inner  attitude  and  disposition  exhorting 
him  to  suppress  a  feeling  which  might  result  in  strik¬ 
ing  back.  ( d )  Moreover,  the  injunction  refers  to  the 
means  of  resistance.  “  Do  not  resist  evil  with  evil.” 
Most  assuredly  should  Christians  resist  evil;  yet  not 
by  brutal  violence,  but  by  spiritual  and  moral  forces, 
such  as  teaching,  example,  training,  heaping  coals  of 
fire  on  the  heads  of  opponents,  etc.  (Rom.  12:  20-21). 
This  great  teaching  is  intended,  ( a )  to  free  men's 
minds  from  the  wrong  belief  in  the  efficiency  for  good 
of  violence  and  brutal  force  backed  by  hatred,  which 
still  constitutes  a  very  strong  remnant  of  barbarism  in 
human  nature;  ( b )  to  emphasize  the  great  power  of 
self-control  and  patience  in  trying  circumstances, 
manifesting  itself  in  melting  hatred  by  the  warmth  of 
a  loving,  tolerant  and  forgiving  spirit.  The  effect  of 
the  spirit  recommended  here,  when  practiced  in  sin¬ 
cerity  and  not  as  a  matter  of  show  or  from  cowardice, 
has  worked  marvels,  as  many  true  examples  prove. 

Literature : 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principle  of  Living,”  108-110. 

“  Christianity  and  Civilization,”  108. 


8.  The  Spirit  of  equity  and  equality.  The  New 
Testament  recognizes  all  natural  distinctions  among 
men,  such  as  are  based  on  sex,  family  relations,  govern¬ 
mental  functions,  as  well  as  on  the  inequalities  due  to 
physical,  mental,  moral,  religious  and  temperamental 
endowments  (Rom.  12:  6;  1  Cor.  12;  Eph.  6).  Yet 


88 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


love  and  the  ideal  of  brotherhood  require  that  even  these 
natural  differences  among  men  should  be  bridged  over 
as  much  as  possible  and  should  in  no  way  be  magnified. 
But  all  artificial  caste  systems,  based  on  birth,  wealth, 
education,  etc.,  must  be  discouraged  and  gradually 
abolished  because  they  conflict  with  the  laws  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  retard  the  upward  progress  of  the 
less  fortunate  classes,  perpetuate  a  bad  social  system, 
encourage  the  remnants  of  animalism  in  man  and 
the  “  superman  ”  theory,  strengthen  class-distinction 
and  result  in  mutual  hatreds  and  revolutions  (Matt. 
23:  8;  Gal.  3:  20).  Class-consciousness  also  tends  to 
exclude  many  men  of  superior  abilities  from  oppor¬ 
tunities  for  development,  compelling  them  to  go 
through  life  as  stunted  personalities.  An  iniquitous 
class-spirit  is  continuously  interfering  with  the  natural 
operation  of  God’s  law  in  the  universe  (Gardner, 
chap.  4). 


Note  i.  The  noxious  weed  of  class-consciousness  thrives  under 
any  form  of  government.  In  America  there  is  growing  up  an 
aristocracy  of  wealth,  of  political  power,  of  “  blue  blood,”  of 
descent  from  military  forebears,  etc.  Our  “Americanization” 
ideals,  if  genuine,  must  include  the  abolition  of  all  things  that 
tend  toward  an  aristocracy  in  industry,  politics,  society,  legisla¬ 
tion,  government,  wealth,  labour  and  all  other  relations  among 
men. 

Note  2.  The  “Labour  Class ”  yields  to  the  temptation  of 
class-selfishness  as  quickly  as  any  other  (Vedder,  “  The  Gospel  of 
Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democracy,”  21,  22,  601). 

Note  3.  In  the  light  of  Matthew  23:  8  and  the  general  spirit  of 
his  Gospel,  what  may  Christ  think  of  many  of  our  preposterous 
monarchical,  ecclesiastical,  academic,  military  and  lodge  titles?  or 
of  the  ridiculous,  cringing  ceremonies  enforced  by  the  “higher” 
classes?  or  of  the  foreign  marriages  on  the  part  of  American 
women  in  order  to  enter  “high”  European  society?  (“The 
Shuttle,”  a  novel  on  international  marriages.) 


ETHICAL  AND  SOCIAL  CONDUCT  OF  MAN  89 


II.  Teaching  of  the  Apostles  on  the  Social 

Virtues 

Parallel  Readings: 

Alexander,  “  Ethics  of  St.  Paul,”  230-281. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  302-312. 

Paul’s  two  dominant  social  aims  were  (1)  to  develop 
socialized  citizens,  and  (2)  to  unite  these  individuals 
in  a  closely  knit  brotherhood  (1  Cor.  9:  19-23).  His 
great  social  aim  is  expressed  in  1  Corinthians  10:  33. 

Like  Jesus,  Paul  makes  love  the  supreme  test  of 
true  Christianity.  There  can  be  no  substitute  for  the 
genuine  article ;  neither  ecstasy,  nor  profound  specula¬ 
tion,  nor  social  service,  nor  asceticism  (1  Cor.  13;  Gal. 
5:  16-24;  Rom.  12:  9-13,  15,  16;  13:  8;  Phil.  2:  1-4). 

Among  the  legitimate  daughters  of  love  Paul  stresses 
sincerity,  honesty,  humbleness,  sympathy,  joy,  kind¬ 
ness,  thrift  (Col.  3:  9-13;  Eph.  4:  28;  Rom.  12:  6; 
Phil.  4:  4;  2  Thess.  3:6). 

Social  service  is  definitely  enjoined;  yet  not  only 
his  means,  but  also  his  personal  services  should  a  Chris¬ 
tian  contribute  to  the  morally  weak  and  fallen  (Gal. 
6:  9,  10;  Rom.  15:  1-3;  14:  13).  The  brotherhood 
should  be  very  close,  including  the  practice  of  arbitra¬ 
tion  (1  Cor.  6:  1-7). 

Toward  non-Christians  and  enemies  honourable  re¬ 
lations  should  be  maintained  (1  Thess.  4:  11,  12; 
5: 15;  Rom.  12:  14,  17-21). 

2.  Some  of  the  noblest  expressions  of  love  as  the 
touchstone  of  Christianity  are  found  in  John  (John 
3:  11,  1L-18;  4:  7,  8).  In  1  John  4:  20  the  Apostle 
uses  very  severe  language  against  men  advocating  a 
type  of  religion  without  the  practice  of  social  ethics. 

James  reflects  the  ideals  and  practices  of  the  Pales¬ 
tinian  Churches  which  were  the  most  direct  heirs  of 


90 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Christ’s  teachings.  He  expresses  in  clear  terms  those 
democratic  and  social  ideals  which  were  the  glory  and 
strength  of  primitive  Christianity  (James  1:  27;  2:  1- 
9 ;  5 :  1-6).  Also  with  James,  love  is  the  “  royal  law  ” 
which  is  to  level  all  social  distinctions. 

Peter  asserts  that  in  all  social  relations  love  is  the 
successful  solvent  (1  Pet.  4:  8-11).  A  graphic  picture 
of  a  socially  minded  Christian  is  painted  in  1  Peter 
3:  8-11. 


CHAPTER  XII 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AT  SCHOOL 

Having  discussed  the  social  nature  and  moral  char¬ 
acter  of  the  individual  in  general  we  propose  in  this 
and  the  following  two  chapters  to  consider  in  particu¬ 
lar  three  of  his  most  common  experiences: — man  at 
school,  at  play  and  in  the  sickroom. 

I.  Jesus  and  Education 

Parallel  Readings: 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  59-95. 

Speer,  R.,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  153,  157,  177,  205. 

Hastings,  “  Dictionary  of  the  Apostolic  Church,”  I,  321  (Jew¬ 
ish,  Greek  and  Christian  Education). 

1.  Jesus  as  a  Pupil.  (1)  Being  a  true  man,  Jesus 
had  the  mental  capacities  of  normal  men;  and  about 
the  boy  Jesus  it  is  expressly  reported  that  He  devel¬ 
oped  physically,  mentally,  morally  and  religiously 
(Luke  2:  51,  52).  (2)  The  remark  in  Luke  2:  46  im¬ 

plies  that  Jesus  was  gifted  with  a  penetrating  mind , 
and  His  reported  teachings  prove  it  ( Vollmer,  “  Mod¬ 
ern  Student’s  Life  of  Christ,”  287-290,  301-306). 
(3)  Christ’s  school  advantages,  however,  seem  to  have 
been  meager.  According  to  Jewish  custom  He  prob¬ 
ably  went  to  the  parochial  school  at  Nazareth  until  His 
confirmation  at  twelve  years  of  age  (Luke  2:  41). 
The  slur  of  the  Pharisees  (John  7:  15,  49)  renders  it 
almost  certain  that  Pie  did  not  attend  any  of  the  higher 
schools,  such  as  the  Scribal  College  at  Jerusalem.  (4) 

91 


92 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Yet  through  private  reading,  meditation,  observation 
and  association  with  all  classes  of  people,  including 
such  with  a  higher  education,  He  must  have  absorbed 
a  great  amount  of  knowledge,  tact  and  wisdom.  (5) 
Thus  educationally  we  would  call  Christ  a  self-made 
man,  an  autodidact. 

2.  Jesus  as  a  Teacher.  (1)  Jesus  considered  Him¬ 

self,  and  was  regarded  by  friend  and  foe,  as  a  great, 
even  a  divine  teacher  (John  3:2).  The  oft-recurring 
term  which  the  Authorized  Version  translates  by 
“  Master/'  means  “  teacher  ”  as  found  in  the  American 
Standard  Bible  (John  1:18;  11:28;  Matt  8:19; 
9:11).  (2)  Christ's  followers  were  called  “  dis¬ 

ciples,"  that  is,  “  learners,"  and  in  the  Great  Commis¬ 
sion  to  the  Apostles  (Matt.  28:  19),  teaching  is  em¬ 
phasized.  This  mission  they  faithfully  carried  out, 
by  word  of  mouth,  through  correspondence  and  by  urg¬ 
ing  the  people  to  read.  (3)  Primitive  Christianity 
laid  great  stress  on  education  and  knowledge,  disre¬ 
garding  rites  and  ceremonies  almost  entirely. 

3.  Chief  Subjects  and  Aim  of  Christ's  Teaching. 
The  specialty  of  New  Testament  teaching  was  religion 
in  its  twofold  aspects:  what  man  is  to  believe  concern¬ 
ing  God  (theology),  and  what  duties  God  requires  of 
man  (individual  and  social  ethics).  On  all  other  sub¬ 
jects  the  New  Testament  writers  do  not  claim  superior 
knowledge,  and  occasionally  Christ  even  professed 
ignorance  (Mark  13:  32;  Acts  1:7).  Incidental  refer¬ 
ences  in  the  Bible  to  scientific  subjects,  such  as  geology, 
astronomy,  biology,  history,  philosophy,  psychology, 
etc.,  are  therefore  not  to  be  regarded  as  authoritative 
teaching. 

4.  The  Chief  Aim  of  Christ's  Teaching  was  the 
liberation  of  men’s  minds  from  all  kinds  of  errors — re- 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AT  SCHOOL 


93 


ligious,  social  and  political  (John  8:  32,  36).  Igno¬ 
rance  is  an  obstruction  in  the  way  of  all  real  progress. 
Even  the  religious  feelings  degenerate  into  supersti¬ 
tion  when  not  controlled  by  an  educated  mind. 

5.  The  Church  Continued  the  Teaching  Function. 
General  history,  church  history,  the  history  of  civiliza¬ 
tion  and  of  the  several  branches  of  culture  plainly 
show  that  the  Church  has  ever  been  the  Alma  Mater 
of  education  in  all  its  branches.  She  rescued  the  rem¬ 
nants  of  Grseco-Roman  culture  and  encouraged 
schools,  arts,  philosophy  and  literature.  (For  further 
discussion  of  this  subject  see  the  chapters  on  “  The 
Kingdom  and  the  Church.”) 

II.  Reasons  in  Favour  of  Education 

Parallel  Readings: 

Erskine,  J.,  “  The  Moral  Obligation  to  be  Intelligent.” 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  17. 

Sinclair,  U.,  “  The  Book  of  Life,”  3-104. 

Henderson,  “Social  Duties,”  154-188. 

Russel,  B.,  “  Why  Men  Fight,”  153-182. 

Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  V,  166,  and 
270 — (“  Emancipation  ”) . 

Vedder,  “  The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democ¬ 
racy,”  184. 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Living,”  7  (“Inertia”). 

Catholic  Encyclopaedia,  Vol.  XIII,  on  “  Schools.” 

Speer,  R.,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  153. 

Poems:  “  O,  komm,  du  Geist  der  Wahrheit  ”  (Spitta). 

1.  Reasons  for  Universal  Education.  From  the 
stress  laid  by  Jesus,  His  Apostles  and  the  great  leaders 
of  the  Church  on  education  and  enlightenment,  it 
follows  that  Christians  should  consider  education 
as  of  paramount  value  and  as  a  duty  toward  the 
individual  and  society,  for  the  following  reasons: 


94 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


(1)  It  is  a  sacred  duty  to  develop  to  the  highest  point 
possible  all  the  powers  resident  in  human  nature. 
Psychologists  have  definitely  established  the  fact  that 
the  average  man  goes  through  life  using  only  about 
one-third  of  his  possible  brain-power.  This  is  not  as 
surprising  as  it  may  seem.  Your  brain  is  just  like  any 
one  of  your  muscles.  Unless  you  keep  it  “  in  trim  ” 
— unless  you  give  it  proper  exercise — it  soon  becomes 
dull,  awkward,  inefficient  and  “  flabby.”  Yet  the  aver¬ 
age  man  takes  no  steps  whatever  to  keep  his  brain  well 
developed.  As  a  result  his  faculties  become  weakened, 
and  unless  he  develops  a  new  mind  he  is  doomed  to 
live  a  life  of  inferiority  or  failure.  (2)  Without 
truthful  information  intelligent  judgment  is  impossible 
and  progress  unthinkable.  When  the  people  have  cor¬ 
rect  information  they  usually  act  wisely.  Political, 
economical  and  religious  conditions  as  found  in  all  the 
progressive  countries  (not  to  mention  the  backward 
peoples)  are  explainable  not  so  much  on  the  theory  of 
total  depravity,  as  on  that  of  woful  ignorance,  even 
on  the  part  of  the  educated  classes.  Victor  Hugo  said: 
“  Destroy  the  Cave  Ignorance  and  you  destroy  the 
Mole  Crime.”  Ignorance  is  the  arch  foe  of  freedom, 
progress  and  all  that  makes  for  human  happiness. 
Ignorance  is  the  mother  of  superstition,  poverty, 
slavery,  cowardice,  and  the  whole  brood  of  evils  that 
fester  war  and  class-government  in  human  society. 
(3)  In  view  of  the  great  problems  of  the  future 
nothing  is  therefore  more  important  than  the  right 
training  of  the  rising  generation.  If  we  desire  to  have 
the  social  questions  settled  right  in  the  next  two  gene¬ 
rations  we  must  introduce  more  social  teaching  into  the 
Sunday  and  the  Public  Schools.  The  leaders  of  the 
latter  insist  very  strongly  on  the  “  social  orientation  ” 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AT  SCHOOL 


95 


of  all  teaching.  A  lecturer  recently  said:  “  Even  when 
teaching  the  multiplication  table  the  social  implication 
of  the  fact  that  one  and  one  make  two  should  be  ex¬ 
plained  to  the  pupils.”  (4)  With  old  and  young  the 
strongest  reformatory  forces  are  not  noisy  campaigns, 
parades,  or  war  for  righteousness  and  democracy,  but 
continuous  and  persistent  teaching  and  training  in  the 
principles  of  God’s  kingdom,  which  are  love,  service 
and  sacrifice.  Because  some  good  has  followed  bloody 
wars,  even  humane  people  have  jumped  to  the  con¬ 
clusion  that  this  was  the  result  of  war  and  that  war 
may  after  all  be  an  instrument  for  promoting  right¬ 
eousness.  This  is  an  absolutely  wrong  view.  The 
good  which  has  followed  wars  had  been  prepared  long 
before  the  war  and  would  have  developed  in  better 
form  without  such  a  catastrophe.  Professor  Snowden 
says:  “The  great  war  has  changed  few  minds  any¬ 
where  in  the  world.  Powder  can  blow  up  a  fort,  but 
it  cannot  win  a  convert.  Jesus  told  His  disciple  to  put 
up  his  sword,  and  not  by  might  nor  by  power,  but  by 
the  spirit,  speaking  in  the  gentlest  voice,  are  the  grand¬ 
est  victories  won.” 

2.  The  nature  of  real  fruitful  education  must  be 
such  as  to  liberate  the  mind  from  all  kinds  of  fettering 
error.  Liberalism  primarily  is  not  a  particular  set  of 
opinions,  but  a  matter  of  the  spirit  in  which  men  re¬ 
gard  God,  truth,  and  their  fellow-men.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  much  of  the  education  and  information  which 
the  majority  of  even  intelligent  people  receive  is  not 
such  as  to  elevate  and  liberate  the  mind.  The  Ameri¬ 
can  public  is  fed  on  low-brow  reading  matter,  low¬ 
brow  movies,  low-brow  theatrical  productions,  low¬ 
brow  music,  low-brow  newspapers,  low-brow  maga¬ 
zines.  The  result  is  the  people  are  intellectually  in- 


96 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


competent,  are  afraid  of  ideas,  especially  new  ones,  and 
are  disinclined  to  think.  “  Thinking  hurts.” 

3.  American  education  must  be  more  Christianized; 
by  no  means  in  a  sense  of  making  it  narrow,  sectarian 
and  intolerant  of  new  ideas  but  by  giving  the  Christian 
religion  a  chance  to  be  heard  in  our  schools  and  by 
creating  an  atmosphere  friendly  to  the  Bible  and  re¬ 
ligion.  Man  needs  the  dynamic  of  religion  to  make 
him  act  according  to  his  ideals.  Our  means  of  educa¬ 
tion  are  in  danger  of  becoming  morally  neutral  and 
this  is  a  long  step  toward  becoming  morally  debilitated. 
A  man  cannot  lose  interest  in  God,  faith,  love,  justice, 
mercy,  immortality  without  losing  something  of  his 
moral  passion,  inherited  from  better  times.  It  is  en¬ 
tirely  possible  to  teach  the  sciences  of  geology,  as¬ 
tronomy,  biology,  physiology,  philosophy,  history,  lit¬ 
erature,  etc.,  from  the  most  advanced  point  of  view 
without  insinuations  or  direct  attacks  on  religion  or 
the  Bible  (often  based  on  an  imperfect  knowledge  of 
both),  and  without  unsettling  a  student’s  faith  in  re¬ 
ligion  or  making  him  indifferent  to  moral  ideals. 

What  Christianizing  education  means  in  the  con¬ 
crete  can  best  be  shown  by  passing  in  review  the  fore¬ 
most  agencies  of  education,  such  as  the  schools,  the 
press,  literature,  etc.,  inquiring  in  each  case  what  it 
still  lacks  in  order  to  express  the  fundamental  prin¬ 
ciples  of  the  kingdom:  love,  service,  sacrifice,  liberty, 
etc. 


III.  Religious  Education 

Parallel  Readings: 

Coe,  G.  A.,  “  Social  Theory  of  Religious  Education.” 

Betts,  “The  New  Program  of  Religious  Education.” 

Betts,  Anna  Freelove,  “  The  Mother  as  a  Teacher  of  Religion.” 
Betts,  G.  H.,  “  How  to  Teach  Religion.” 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AT  SCHOOL 


97 


Wenner,  G.,  “  Religious  Education  and  the  Public  School.” 

Bliss,  “New  Encyclopaedia  of  Social  Reform,”  1056. 

Knopp,  E.  A.,  “  The  Community  and  the  Daily  Vacation 
School.” 

Gage,  A.,  “  How  to  Conduct  a  Church  Vacation  School.” 

Chappelle,  H.,  “  The  Church  Vacation  School.” 

Encyclopaedia  of  Sunday  Schools  and  Religious  Education, 
3  vol. 

Athearn,  “  Religious  Education  and  American  Democracy.” 

Athearn,  “A  National  System  of  Education.” 

Cope,  “  Evolution  of  the  Sunday  School.” 

Peabody,  “  Religious  Education  of  an  American  Citizen.” 

Coe,  “  The  Religion  of  a  Mature  Mind.” 

1.  The  Need  of  Religious  Education.  In  order  to 
contribute  one’s  fair  share  to  the  Christianizing  of 
general  education  as  well  as  of  all  other  individual  and 
social  relations  one  must  know  what  the  principles  of 
Christ's  religion  really  are.  Hence,  correct  informa¬ 
tion  concerning  Christianity  is  of  the  utmost  impor¬ 
tance  for  individual  happiness  and  morality  as  well  as 
to  the  stability  of  society,  true  democracy  and  the 
intensive  and  extensive  growth  of  the  Church.  Nations 
therefore  which  neglect  or  oppose  religious  instruction, 
or  even  encourage  the  teaching  of  irreligion  are  digging 
their  own  graves. 

2.  Methods  of  Religious  Training.  The  rising 
generation  must  be  taught  religion,  (1)  by  precept; 
(2)  by  the  example  of  individuals,  as  well  as  through 
laws  and  customs,  and  (3)  by  training  in  social  service 
and  right  actions,  for  habit  and  character  are  formed 
through  practice  alone. 

3.  Various  Agencies  for  Religious  Instruction.  ( 1 ) 
The  Christian  home  may  not  do  much  formal  religious 
teaching  but,  remembering  that  religion  is  life,  it  still 
offers  untold  opportunities  for  absorbing  Christian 


98 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


truth  and  practice,  such  as  the  mothers  habit  of  pray¬ 
ing  with  and  for  her  child,  the  family  conversation, 
good  music,  clean  language  and  amusements,  etc.  Let 
us  beware  of  the  conventional  pessimistic  talk  regard¬ 
ing  the  supposed  decadence  of  the  Christian  home! 
(2)  The  Sunday ,  or  Bible  school,  in  its  various  depart¬ 
ments,  with  its  rich  literature  is  one  of  the  chief  foun¬ 
tains  of  religious  education  as  well  as  character  build¬ 
ing.  (3)  The  Parochial  school  has  been  in  the  past  one 
of  the  greatest  blessings  to  America,  for  until  recently 
it  was  the  only  opportunity  for  educating  the  plain  peo¬ 
ple.  While  the  system  is  fast  dying  out  there  still  re¬ 
main  thousands  of  these  “  schools  with  the  Bible.” 
(4)  Week-day  religious  institutions  in  connection  with 
the  public  school  system,  having  for  its  aim  to  reduce 
the  woful  “  religious  illiteracy  ”  of  the  childhood  and 
youth  of  America.  The  definite  plan  is  to  give  moral 
and  religious  instruction  in  every  department  of  the 
public  school  system  of  the  country,  primary,  grammar 
and  high  school,  college  and  university;  such  instruc¬ 
tion  to  be  without  cost  to  the  state  in  the  lower  grades 
and  to  be  offered  as  optional  courses  in  colleges  and 
universities;  such  optional  courses  when  completed  to 
be  given  equal  credits  with  other  courses  of  equal  in¬ 
tellectual  and  cultural  value.  This  proposed  new  plan 
has  been  endorsed  by  a  committee  on  education  which 
claims  to  represent  thirty-three  religious  denominations 
and  sixty-seven  state  and  provincial  associations  with 
a  membership  of  23,000,000,  the  result  of  a  fusion  of 
Protestant  agencies.  Already  300  cities  in  the  United 
States  are  experimenting  with  the  subject  of  religious 
instruction  of  public  school  children  on  school  days. 
Among  these  are  New  York,  Detroit,  Grand  Rapids, 
Milwaukee,  Houston,  Toledo  and  Rochester.  (5) 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AT  SCHOOL 


99 


The  Daily  Vacation  Bible  School ,  which  needs  no 
description.  (6)  The  Pastor’s  Catechetical  Class,  a 
means  of  religious  instruction  and  conversion  of  great 
possibilities  but  sadly  neglected  by  the  majority  of 
Protestant  pastors  in  America.  (7)  Christian  litera¬ 
ture  of  great  variety,  such  as  the  Sunday  school, 
Church,  Mission  and  other  Christian  periodicals ;  books 
adapted  to  all  ages  and  tastes;  the  Christian  motion- 
pictures,  etc.  A  most  excellent  plan  for  pastors  and 
other  well-informed  people  to  follow  is  to  recommend 
good  literature  from  the  pulpit,  the  Sunday-school 
desk  and  in  the  weekly  Church  Bulletin,  as  well  as  to 
encourage  mutual  loans  of  good  literature.  (8)  Small 
leaflets  and  “  tracts  for  the  times,”  offered  for  sale  in 
the  church  building,  etc. 

IV.  The  Public  School 

The  Church  is  the  mother  of  the  elementary  and  the 
higher  schools  of  learning.  The  inspiration  for  estab¬ 
lishing  schools  has  always  been  derived  from  Christ’s 
teaching  concerning  the  great  value  of  each  individual 
as  well  as  from  the  spirit  and  the  laws  of  God’s  king¬ 
dom. 

Some  dark  spots  on  the  American  public  school  sys¬ 
tem.  (1)  There  are  still  very  large  numbers  of  the 
residents  of  America  illiterate,  and  we  cannot  blame 
this  condition  on  “  the  ignorant  foreigner.”  For  of 
these  illiterates,  fifty-eight  per  cent,  are  white  people, 
twenty-eight  per  cent,  natives  and  the  balance  foreign 
born;  forty  per  cent,  are  negroes,  and  the  remaining 
two  per  cent,  of  illiteracy  is  scattered  among  Indians, 
Chinese,  Japanese  and  others.  (2)  No  systematic  pro¬ 
vision  is  made  for  "  Continuation  Schools  ”  for  those 
not  intending  to  go  to  higher  institutions  of  learning. 


100 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


This  is  dangerous;  a  democracy  to  be  safe  must  be 
given  a  basis  of  intelligence  and  morality.  “  Against 
ignorance  even  the  gods  fight  in  vain”  (Schiller). 
(3)  The  deplorable  condition  of  our  Country  Schools. 
The  survey  recently  made  by  the  joint  committee  on 
rural  schools  in  the  state  of  New  York  may  be 
summed  up  in  this  one  sentence:  “The  largest  single 
educational  problem  in  the  state  is  that  of  equalization 
of  opportunity  for  the  country  child  as  contrasted  with 
the  child  who  lives  in  the  city  or  village.”  Here  are 
some  facts  revealed:  Ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the  one- 
teacher  school  building  are  of  the  rectangular  box-car 
type,  usually  without  windows  and  such  light  as  there 
is  shines  in  the  pupils’  eyes.  Of  these,  eighty-five  per 
cent,  are  heated  by  stoves  that  scorch  the  children  sit¬ 
ting  near  them,  and  allow  the  ones  farthest  away  to 
shiver.  Ninety-five  per  cent,  have  desks  that  cannot 
be  adjusted  to  the  size  of  the  pupil.  Sixty-one  per 
cent,  have  a  common  towel ;  five  per  cent,  have  no  towel 
at  all.  The  school  is  usually  in  need  of  paint.  (4) 
The  insecurity  of  the  tenure  of  office  and  the  low 
salary.  (5)  The  non-participation  of  the  teacher  in 
the  management  of  the  school.  (6)  School  boards  in 
various  cities  of  the  country  seem  to  be  trying  to  outdo 
each  other  in  obscurantism,  disciplining  teachers  for 
advocating  educational  improvements  and  for  exercis¬ 
ing  the  constitutional  rights  of  an  American  citizen. 
Teacher-baiting  is  becoming  one  of  the  most  popular 
sports  of  some  state  legislatures.  In  advocating  repres¬ 
sive  school  legislation  a  state  senator  said  recently: 
“  Teachers  who  are  paid  out  of  public  funds  to  in¬ 
struct  school  children  have  no  right  either  to  believe 
in,  or  to  advocate  changes  in  the  state  or  national 
government.”  Just  think  of  it! 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AT  SCHOOL 


101 


V.  Higher  Education 

Parallel  Readings: 

Palmer,  W.  S.,  “  Where  Science  and  Religion  Meet.” 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  142-147. 

The  social  Gospel  as  well  as  the  principles  of  a  sound 
democracy  would  seem  to  favour  the  following  de¬ 
mands  with  respect  to  higher  education:  (1)  equal  op¬ 
portunity  for  all  to  receive  a  higher  education.  To 
avoid  a  “  learned  proletariate  ”  rigid  tests  of  real 
capability  should  accompany  such  liberal  provisions. 

(2)  Greater  thoroughness  of  teaching  and  training  in 
greater  accuracy  and  independence.  The  main  busi¬ 
ness  of  education  is  not  to  teach  men  zvhat  to  think  but 
to  teach  them  liozv  to  think.  A  higher  institution  of 
learning  should  be  regarded  as  “  a  place  where  a  young 
person  may  educate  himself ”  instead  of,  as  “Mr. 
Dooly  ”  puts  it:  “a  place  where  the  learned  professors 
will  study  for  you  the  courses  a  student  may  select.” 

(3)  The  fountains  of  our  higher  education  should  be 
democratically  controlled,  and  the  teachers  themselves 
should  have  a  part  in  such  control.  (4)  The  manage¬ 
ment  of  our  higher  institutions  of  learning  should  not 
be  fettered  by  the  great  financial  interests  of  the  land. 
As  educational  conditions  have  developed  in  America 
our  colleges  and  universities  are  dependent  on  the 
larger  gifts  from  our  men  of  great  wealth.  The 
danger  to  American  liberty  lurking  in  this  system  is 
obvious. 

Academic  freedom  must  he  upheld.  By  this  is 
meant,  quoting  one  of  our  most  conservative  American 
educators,  President  Butler  of  Columbia  University, 
New  York,  “  The  right  to  search  for  truth  unhampered 
by  shackles  of  political,  religious,  or  scientific  beliefs 


102 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


and  opinions.  If  certain  preconceived  views  must  be 
taught,  the  institution  whose  teachers  are  so  restricted 
is  not  a  university.  It  may,  nevertheless,  be  a  useful 
educational  agency  or  a  helpful  factor  in  social  im¬ 
provement,  but  it  is  not,  and  cannot  be,  a  university. 
The  tenure  of  office  of  a  university  teacher  must,  there¬ 
fore,  be  quite  independent  of  his  views  on  political, 
religious,  or  scientific  subjects.  In  his  seeking  for 
truth  he  is  entitled  to  be  free  to  follow  wherever  his 
intelligence  and  his  conscience  may  lead,  and  he  must 
not  be  forbidden  to  break  out  new  paths  or  persecuted 
if  he  does  so.”  Measured  by  this  definition  America 
has  few  real  universities.  As  has  been  charged, 
“  Some  of  our  colleges  are  even  positive  hindrances  to 
progress,  and  are  active  and  bitter  opponents  of  cul¬ 
ture,  art,  originality  of  thought,  and  development  of 
true  independence  in  opinion  and  character.” 

The  Christian  spirit  of  love,  reverence,  order,  purity, 
decency,  tolerance,  etc.,  should  pervade  our  higher  in¬ 
stitutions  of  learning.  “Academic  freedom  ”  has,  like 
everything  else,  its  limitations.  If  sectarian  dogmatism 
should  have  no  place  in  a  university,  neither  should 
atheistic  dogmatism  be  tolerated.  Governor  Nestos 
stated  the  American  position  correctly  when  he  said: 
“  My  conviction  is  that  any  teaching,  undermining  the 
fundamentals  of  religious  faith,  the  sarcastic  attacks 
upon  the  beliefs  of  the  so-called  ‘  old  fogies  ’  who  still 
adhere  to  them,  constitute  a  more  vicious  and  dam¬ 
nable  violation  of  the  spirit  of  our  constitutions  and  the 
faith  and  ideals  of  the  founders  of  this  university  than 
does  any  denominational  instruction.  My  objection  is 
not  to  the  faith  or  religious  belief,  or  lack  of  religious 
belief  of  the  professor — that  is  his  own  concern;  but 
he  has  no  right  to  express  that  belief  in  the  class-room 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AT  SCHOOL  /  103 


or  upon  the  campus  in  the  presence  of  the  students,  and 
especially  do  I  object  to  the  making  of  any  of  these 
statements  for  the  purpose  of  undermining  the  faith  of 
the  students,  or  belittling  the  faith  and  religious  be¬ 
liefs  of  their  fathers.  If  these  teachers  desire  employ¬ 
ment  in  our  state  institutions,  and  compensation  from 
our  tax  moneys,  they  should  be  willing  to  observe  not 
only  the  letter,  but  the  spirit  of  the  constitution  and 
laws  of  this  state,  and  that  means  not  only  that  they 
shall  refrain  from  religious  instruction  but  also  from 
the  demonstration  of  anti-religious  sentiments.” 

The  Smaller  College.  The  distinctively  Christian 
college  has  a  most  creditable  history  in  American  edu¬ 
cation,  and  the  Church  should  be  encouraged  to  uphold 
it,  not  only  in  name  and  when  appealing  for  funds,  but 
also  as  to  spirit,  supervision,  religious  opportunities, 
teaching  and  legal  control.  One  by  one  our  church 
colleges  are  being  bribed  away  from  their  moorings  by 
offers  of  endowments  and  pensions,  and  the  time  is  not 
far  distant  when  only  the  Roman  Catholics  and  a  few 
of  the  stricter  Protestant  sects  may  have  Christian 
colleges.  The  Christian  college  has  a  very  peculiar 
function:  (1)  to  specialize  in  the  development  of  char¬ 
acter  or  personality  in  the  individual  student.  It  was 
this  that  President  Garfield  had  in  mind  when  he  de¬ 
fined  the  ideal  college  as  “  a  log  of  wood  with  Mark 
Hopkins  at  one  end  and  a  student  at  the  other  ” ;  and, 
(2)  a  conscious  endeavour  to  win  and  prepare  students 
for  the  ministry  and  other  distinctive  Christian  work. 

VI.  Libraries  and  Reading  Rooms 

History  and  recent  excavations  show  that  the  ancient 
nations  possessed  large  libraries.  There  were,  no 
doubt,  smaller  collections  of  books  kept  also  in  the 


104 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Jewish  temple  and  the  synagogues.  Whether  Christ 
owned  any  books,  is  nowhere  stated;  Paul  possessed 
a  number  of  them  (2  Tim.  4:  13).  Here  again  an 
ungrateful  world  must  be  reminded  that  the  Church 
saved  what  is  left  of  Graeco-Roman  literature  from 
destruction  during  the  storms  of  the  wanderings  of  the 
nations  (beginning  with  a.  d.  375),  and  that  the  lead¬ 
ers  of  the  Revival  of  Learning  in  the  fifteenth  and  six¬ 
teenth  centuries  were  priests,  monks  and  Protestant 
Reformers. 

Our  public  and  private  libraries  should  also  be  Chris¬ 
tianized,  (1)  by  keeping  the  moral  poison  away  or  re¬ 
moving  it  when  already  there;  (2)  by  seeing  to  it 
that  our  local  public  libraries  and  reading  rooms  may 
be  provided  with  the  best  reading  matter  regarding 
the  Christian  viewpoint  on  all  questions  at  issue;  (3) 
by  establishing  small  congregational  libraries  for  social 
and  mission  study  classes. 

VII.  The  Platform,  the  Stage  and  the  Motion 

Picture 

(1)  The  “Platform”  was  the  method  which  Christ 
and  the  Apostles  used  mostly  in  Christianizing  the  so¬ 
cial  order.  For  many  reasons  no  other  mediums  of 
teaching  will  ever  supersede  the  spoken  word  and  the 
picture  in  effectiveness.  (2)  The  stage  and  the 
“  movie  ”  will  be  treated  in  the  next  chapter  under  the 
aspect  of  amusements;  but  the  use  of  both  for  propa¬ 
gating  definite  ideas  is  very  extensive  and  may  be  used 
to  good  advantage  by  the  Church. 

VIII.  The  Periodical  Press 

Parallel  Readings: 

Lippman,  Walter,  “  Public  Opinion.” 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AT  SCHOOL 


105 


Sinclair,  U.,  “  The  Brass  Check." 

Vedder,  “The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democ¬ 
racy,"  317,  351. 

Sinclair,  “Cry  of  Justice,"  754  (Swinton’s  letter). 

The  periodical  press  is  the  most  extensive  dissemina¬ 
tor  of  information  and  teaching  and  the  only  literature 
that  most  people  read  all  through  their  lives.  Being  of 
so  great  an  importance,  the  principles  of  God’s  king¬ 
dom  would  call  for  the  following  reforms: 

(1)  The  press  must  be  truthful.  Misinformation 
by  the  press  is  attributable,  (a)  to  ignorance  or  haste 
on  the  part  of  the  journalist;  ( b )  to  intentional  sup¬ 
pression  of  the  truth;  (c)  to  intentional  changes  and 
perversion;  ( d )  to  intentional  invention.  (Let  the 
student  report  recent  examples.)  An  editor  writes: 
“  The  American  people  cannot  deal  intelligently  with 
any  of  these  problems  without  knowing  the  facts,  and 
they  cannot  know  the  facts  until  the  newspapers  brush 
aside  the  propagandists  of  contending  factions  and  get 
back  to  first  principles  of  news  gathering.  All  this  is 
fundamental.” 

(2)  The  many  fetters  which  enslave  the  press  must 
be  broken,  such  as,  (a)  the  fetters  of  the  government. 
The  first  assault  on  the  right  of  free  speech,  guaran¬ 
teed  by  the  Constitution,  occurred  in  1798,  when  Con¬ 
gress  passed  the  sedition  law,  which  made  it  a  crime 
for  any  newspaper  or  other  printed  publication  to 
criticize  the  government.  Partisan  prosecution  of 
editors  and  publishers  took  place  at  the  instance  of  the 
party  in  power,  and  popular  indignation  was  aroused 
against  this  abridgment  of  liberty  to  such  an  extent  that 
Thomas  Jefferson,  the  candidate  of  the  opposition 
party  for  President,  was  triumphantly  elected.  Since 
then,  the  parties  in  power  made  similar  attempts,  espe- 


106 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


daily  during  war-periods,  when  the  constitutional 
guarantees  were  practically  suspended.  ( b )  The  fet¬ 
ters  of  the  big  advertisers  and  the  special  interests. 
Sinclair’s  “  Brass  Check  ”  asserts,  “  that  almost  all  the 
newspapers  are  absolutely  controlled  by  great  profiteer¬ 
ing  interests,  and  that  news  is  habitually  coloured,  dis¬ 
torted,  suppressed,  and  even  invented,  so  that  what  we 
read  as  news  is  in  reality  largely  propaganda.”  (c) 
The  fetters  of  foreign  ownership  or  editorship.  Lord 
Northcliffe  boasted  as  far  back  as  1900;  “The  syndi¬ 
cate  of  which  I  am  head  owns  or  controls  eighteen 
very  successful  American  papers  in  your  leading 
cities.”  But  this  is  an  old  story.  About  one  hundred 
and  thirty  years  ago  Thomas  Jefferson  wrote:  “You 
know  that  the  British  government  with  us  supports  a 
kind  of  a  standing  army  of  newspaper  reporters,  who 
without  any  regard  of  truthfulness  and  facts  invest, 
report  and  bring  into  the  papers  anything  which  may 
be  serviceable  to  the  British  ministers.”  To  this  very 
day,  thousands  of  non-Americans — especially  of  Brit¬ 
ish  and  German  nationality,  are  stockholders,  editors 
and  writers  of  American  newspapers,  (d)  The  fetters 
of  newspaper  and  periodical  trusts ,  controlled  by 
Americans,  are  monopolizing  public  opinion  without 
the  slightest  responsibility  to  people  or  government. 
(Give  some  illustrations.)  (e)  The  fetter  of  low  sen¬ 
sationalism,  specializing  in  vulgarity  and  crime,  both 
in  word  and  illustrations,  thereby  perverting  the  taste 
of  the  masses,  poisoning  their  minds,  corrupting  their 
morals  and  menacing  intellectual  and  social  progress. 
(/)  The  fetter  of  underground  machinations  on  the 
part  of  some  churches,  lodges  and  other  influential 
groups  of  men. 

Remedies  Against  the  Tainted  Press .  (1)  The  sec- 


THE  INDIVIDUAL  AT  SCHOOL 


107 


ond  class  postal  law  requires  the  periodical  publication 
of  the  real  owners,  stockholders  and  editors;  (2)  the 
publication  of  official  newspapers  has  been  suggested. 
(3)  “Christian”  dailies  have  been  tried,  but  they 
could  not  command  adequate  financial  support.  (4) 
A  somewhat  successful  method  to  get  at  the  truth  is  to 
read  outspoken  opposition  and  “  liberal  ”  organs. 
Though  they  also  are  biased,  they  at  any  rate  publish 
the  side  usually  concealed  by  the  daily  press  and  thus 
make  comparison  and  the  forming  of  an  independent 
judgment  possible. 

Freedom  of  Speech  is  the  Chief  Condition  for  pro¬ 
moting  true  enlightenment,  in  school  (as  mentioned 
before)  as  well  as  for  general  advancement  of  the 
human  race.  For  this  reason  true  men  in  all  ages  have 
struggled  and  agonized  for  freedom  of  speech.  Christ 
died  in  this  age-long  struggle  and  so  did  Paul  and  tens 
of  thousands  of  others,  while  millions  suffered  in  other 
ways  for  the  same  cause.  All  true  friends  of  the  peo¬ 
ple  and  their  welfare  have  fought  for  this  boon,  and 
all  open  and  concealed  enemies  of  popular  progress 
have  opposed  it.  A  few  famous  sayings  advocating 
freedom  of  speech  may  close  this  chapter: 

1.  First  amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States: 
“  Congress  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an  establishment  of  re¬ 
ligion,  or  prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof;  or  abridging  the 
freedom  of  speech,  or  of  the  press,  or  the  right  of  the  people 
peacefully  to  assemble,  and  to  petition  the  government  for  a 
redress  of  grievances.” 

2.  Socrates,  who  died  for  the  cause  of  academic  freedom : 
“  The  sun  might  as  easily  be  spared  from  the  universe  as  free 
speech  from  the  liberal  institutions  of  society.” 

3.  Wendell  Phillips:  “If  anything  cannot  stand  discussion  let 
it  crack.” 

4.  Henry  Ward  Beecher:  “Free  speech  is  to  a  great  people 


108 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


what  winds  are  to  oceans  and  malarial  regions,  which  waft  away 
the  elements  of  disease,  and  bring  new  elements  of  health;  and 
where  free  speech  is  stopped,  miasma  is  bred  and  death  comes 
fast.” 

5.  General  Gordon:  “Whoever  would  overturn  the  liberty  of 
the  nation  must  begin  by  subduing  freedom  of  speech.” 


CHAPTER  XIII 


THE  PLAY  INSTINCT  IN  MAN 

Parallel  Readings: 

Edwards,  R.  H.,  “  Christianity  and  Amusements,”  and  “  Popular 
Amusements.” 

Atkinson,  H.,  “  The  Church  and  the  People’s  Play.” 

Gates,  Herbert’  W.,  “  Recreation  and  the  Church.” 

Rainwater,  “  The  Play  Movement  in  the  U.  S.” 

Vedder,  “  The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problem  of  Democ¬ 
racy,”  90. 

Speer,  R.,  ‘‘Principles  of  Jesus,”  25,  214. 

Follett,  “The  New  State,”  189-203. 

Harbin,  “  Phunology.” 

Reisner,  “  Social  Plans  for  Young  People.’* 

Strouse,  “  Outdoor  Stunts.” 

White,  “All  the  Year  Round  Activities.” 

Wells,  “  Social  Evenings.” 

Young,  “  Character  thru  Recreation.” 

Van  Eps,  “  Your  Right  to  be  Happy.” 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Living,”  76. 

Kent,  “Social  Teaching  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  212-224. 
Geister,  Edna,  “  It  is  to  Laugh.” 

Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  on  “  Asceti¬ 
cism  ”  (Vol.  II,  63),  and  “Amusements”  (I,  400). 

Cooley,  “  Social  Organizations,”  217-247. 

I.  Importance  of  the  Amusement  Problem 

One  of  the  most  important  elements  of  man’s  in¬ 
dividual  and  social  life  is  the  play-instinct,  the  craving 
for  recreation  and  amusements.  And  never  has  this 
feature  of  human  nature  been  more  of  a  problem  to 

109 


110 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


parents,  educators  and  the  Church,  than  at  present. 
The  question,  therefore,  is  all-important,  especially  to 
a  Christian,  as  to  what  are  the  implications  of  the  New 
Testament  teachings  on  the  Amusement  problem. 

Note  I.  Definitions  of  synonymous  terms:  (i)  Amusement, 
from  “  a  musis,”  turning  away  from  the  muses,  the  gods  of  the 
fine  arts,  i.  e.,  from  serious  work,  to  enjoy  leisure  and  rest.  (2) 
Recreation ,  from  “  recreo  ”  reproducing  one’s  strength  by  tem¬ 
porary  ceasing  from  serious  labour.  (3)  Relaxation,  from  the 
figure  of  a  bow  which,  to  retain  its  elasticity,  needs  occasional 
unbending.  (4)  Diversion,  a  turning  aside  from  serious  work  to 
pleasant  occupation. 


II.  Christ’s  Practice  as  to  Recreation 

Christ’s  approval  of  satisfying  the  play-instinct  in 
human  nature  is  shown  by  His  uniform  practice.  (1) 
Being  a  true  and  a  normal  man,  Jesus,  as  a  boy  and  a 
young  man,  no  doubt  indulged  in  the  games  of  the 
children  of  His  age,  while  later  He  watched  them  with 
kindly  interest  rather  than  with  a  critical  spirit  (Matt. 
11:  16-19).  (2)  He  delighted  in  those  recreations 

which  may  be  enjoyed  individually ,  such  as  musing 
upon  nature,  walking,  boating,  reading,  sightseeing, 
etc.  (Luke  12:27;  Matt.  16:2,  3).  (3)  It  was  a 

habit  with  Jesus  to  attend  all  kinds  of  social  f  unctions 
of  a  more  or  less  formal  nature,  such  as  banquets, 
weddings,  etc.,  not  only  for  the  purpose  of  doing  good 
to  people  whom  He  met  on  such  occasions,  but  be¬ 
cause  He  really  enjoyed  those  affairs.  (4)  He  no 
doubt  took  part  also  in  informal  gatherings  and  chats, 
such  as  neighbours,  friends  and  casual  acquaintances 
are  accustomed  to  indulge  in.  (5)  He  accepted  the 
pleasurable  distinction  of  being  anointed  and  defended 
both  women  against  criticism  (Luke  7:  36-50;  John 


THE  PLAY  INSTINCT  IN  MAN 


111 


12:  3).  (6)  In  selecting  His  company  Jesus  was  less 

choicy  than  we  can  be.  He  was  so  sociable  that  He 
shocked  many  of  the  good  people  of  His  country  by  as¬ 
sociating  with  people  with  whom  nobody  else  was  will¬ 
ing  to  associate  (Luke  15:  1).  (7)  Jesus’  social  na¬ 

ture  seems  to  have  been  so  strongly  developed  that  His 
enemies  based  their  slanders  against  Him  on  this  well- 
known  characteristic  (Matt.  11:  19) ;  for  slanders  are 
usually  based  on  exaggerated  elements  of  truth. 


III.  Christ’s  Teaching  on  Recreation 

(1)  No  word  of  censure  against  the  social  customs 
and  institutions  of  the  times  as  such  is  recorded.  Only 
when  they  were  abused  to  the  injury  of  the  higher  life 
He  criticized  those  abuses  (Luke  14:  7-14).  While 
the  Pharisees  objected  vehemently  to  the  Greek  sports, 
Jesus  through  His  silence  seems  to  have  approved  of 
them.  (2)  He  expressly  discouraged  the  ascetic  fea¬ 
tures  of  religion  (fasting,  etc.),  because  He  knew  from 
history  and  experience,  that,  far  from  having  a  real 
religious  value,  asceticism  tends  to  make  its  devotees 
self-righteous,  hypocritical,  morose  and  censorious, 
while  according  to  Matthew  9:  15  the  whole  life  of  a 
Christian  was  to  be  like  a  marriage-feast  (not  a 
funeral),  that  is,  pervaded  by  joy  and  happiness.  (3) 
Christ’s  frequent  illustrations  from  joyous  and  social 
customs  imply  general  approval  of  these  occasions 
(Luke  15:  22-24).  (4)  Many  of  His  sayings  are  ex¬ 

pressed  in  the  spirit  and  language  of  humour  and  clean 
witticism,  showing  that  Jesus  appreciated  the  socializ¬ 
ing  and  humanizing  effect  of  clean  wit  and  good  hu¬ 
mour  (Matt.  7:  4;  Vollmer,  “Modern  Student’s  Life 
of  Christ,”  293). 


112 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


IV.  Attitude  of  the  Apostles  Toward 

Recreation 

Christ’s  approval  of  satisfying  the  sociable  instinct 
in  man  is  clearly  reflected  in  the  writings  of  the 
Apostles  (Acts  2:  46-47 ;  1  Cor.  9:  24;  11:  33).  Paul 
especially  denounced  asceticism  (Col.  2:  20-23)  and 
advocated  freedom  concerning  these  and  all  other 
“  Adiaphora,”  insisting,  however,  that  love  for  the 
brother  should  be  the  guiding  motive  in  all  our  actions 
(1  Cor.  8:9-13;  Rom.  4:1-15:8).  But  neither 
Christ  nor  the  Apostles  encouraged  any  “  laissez 
faire  ”  practice  in  amusements.  He  fully  recognized 
the  danger  lurking  in  them  to  the  higher  life,  and  laid 
a  curse  upon  those  leading  others,  especially  young 
people,  into  temptation  (Luke  17 :  1-2). 

V.  Inferences  from  Christ’s  Teaching  and 
Practice  on  Amusements 

(1)  Church,  school  and  home  should  teach  con¬ 
tinuously  that  while  the  ascetic  ideal  of  life  is  not 
favoured  by  Christ,  any  overstimulation  of  the  pleasure 
instinct  in  any  form  is  a  danger  to  the  physical,  mental, 
moral  and  religious  health.  “  Not  enjoyment  .  .  . 

is  our  destined  end  or  way  ”  (Longfellow).  (2)  Per¬ 
sistent  witness  should  be  borne  by  the  religious  groups 
of  the  community,  especially  the  leaders  of  good  so¬ 
ciety,  against  all  amusements  which  are  known  to  have 
dangerous  tendencies.  As  in  other  spheres  of  life,  it 
is  the  Church’s  duty  to  create  a  conscience  about 
amusements  as  well  as  to  cultivate  and  enlighten  it. 
Pleasures  must  be  standardized.  Lukewarm  Chris¬ 
tians  and  ill-informed  critics  of  the  Church  have  a 
way  of  warning  us,  saying:  “  If  the  Church  denounces 


THE  PLAY  INSTINCT  IN  MAN 


113 


this  or  that  amusement,  she  will  lose  her  young  peo¬ 
ple.”  Church  leaders  know  from  experience  that  just 
the  reverse  is  true.  If  the  Church  does  not  warn  the 
young  she  will  surely  lose  many  of  them.  Faithful 
teaching  in  a  loving  spirit  and  in  moderate  language 
will  have  a  tendency  to  teach  higher  standards  of 
amusement  to  the  young  people,  thus  keeping  millions 
entirely  away  from  dangerous  occasions  while  in  the 
case  of  other  millions  the  taste  for  questionable  amuse¬ 
ments  will  be  diminished  or  objectionable  features 
eliminated.  (3)  The  Church  should  make  her  influ¬ 
ence  felt  also  directly,  by  providing  good  substitutes, 
that  is,  clean  amusements  and  adequate  equipment  as 
well  as  indirectly,  by  teaching  right  principles  of  recre¬ 
ation  and  by  trying  to  influence  civil  authorities  and 
amusement  corporations  to  maintain  high  standards. 
Mere  negative  denunciation  will  avail  very  little.  No 
church  alive  to  its  opportunities  nowadays  neglects  the 
recreational  side  of  human  nature.  Much  headway 
has  recently  been  made  along  this  line.  (4)  The  easy¬ 
going  conscience  of  parents  should  be  aroused.  Many 
parents  to-day  allow  their  children  to  attend  social 
functions  at  almost  any  public  place,  any  time  of  day 
or  night,  and  unchaperoned.  It  seems  that  they  never 
question  the  influence  of  these  places,  or  take  the  trou¬ 
ble  to  find  out  whether  they  be  good  or  bad.  The  hun¬ 
dreds  of  cases  in  the  Juvenile  Court,  Detention  and 
Industrial  Homes  prove  the  folly  of  such  procedure. 
(5)  The  quiet  intellectual  pleasures  of  life  such  as 
literature,  music  and  home-games,  as  well  as  the  health- 
promoting  outdoor  sports,  such  as  “  hiking,”  swim¬ 
ming,  ball  games,  etc.,  should  be  encouraged  and  safe¬ 
guarded  by  eliminating  dangerous  features.  (6)  The 
Commercialisation  of  the  play  instinct  must  be 


114 


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watched.  As  matters  stand,  modern  society  has  turned 
over  the  provision  for  public  recreation  to  the  most 
unscrupulous  members  of  the  community. 

Question: 

How  can  the  masses  be  led  to  seek  the  higher  forms  of  social 
and  spiritual  recreation? 

VI.  Christ’s  Attitude  Toward  Some  Disputed 

Modern  Amusements 

Having  discussed  the  principles  which  should  serve 
us  as  a  safe  guide  on  the  amusement  question,  we  pro¬ 
ceed  to  apply  them  to  some  of  the  popular  recreations 
of  modern  times,  on  which  there  is  great  difference  of 
opinion  among  equally  conscientious  people. 

1.  The  Theatre  and  the  “Movie.”  (1)  Dramatic 
art,  like  the  other  arts,  was  very  little  developed  among 
the  Jews.  The  Greeks,  however,  greatly  excelled  in 
the  drama,  using  it  as  a  means  of  fostering  patriotism, 
religion  and  morality.  During  the  Middle  Ages  the 
“  Mystery  Plays  ”  flourished,  of  which  the  modern 
Oberammergau  Passion  Play  is  a  survival.  In  modern 
times  the  stage  has  been  sinking  lower  and  lower  both 
as  to  subjects  and  actors,  and  the  new  feature  of  the 
drama,  the  Motion  Picture,  is  succumbing  to  the  same 
danger.  (2)  That  Christ  would  favour  the  drama  in 
principle  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  the  dra¬ 
matic  qualities  are  innate  in  human  and  even  animal 
nature,  as  well  as  from  Christ’s  habit  of  drawing  word- 
pictures  and  of  presenting  much  of  His  teaching  in 
the  form  of  dramatic  scenes.  (Give  illustrations.) 
(3)  To  rescue  this  noble  art  from  present  degradation 
and  develop  its  great  possibilities  for  good,  the  follow¬ 
ing  measures  have  been  suggested  and  partially  put  into 
action:  (a)  Managers  and  actors  should  be  made  to 


THE  PLAY  INSTINCT  IN  MAN 


115 


realize  that  they  are  expected  to  regulate  their  lives 
according  to  at  least  normal  standards  of  morality. 

( b )  Some  sort  of  cooperation  between  the  churches 
and  the  theatre  management  should  be  established.  If 
the  Church  is  to  correct  any  of  the  unfortunate  abuses 
which  now  obtain  in  the  motion  picture  world,  the 
whole  policy  of  isolation  and  mere  condemnation  must 
be  dropped.  Continuous  study  of  the  movie  as  it  af¬ 
fects  children  shall  be  made  under  the  direction  of  the 
churches.  Through  churches,  public  schools  and  affili¬ 
ated  organizations,  special  shows  suited  to  the  child 
mind,  and  other  good  plays  should  be  secured  from 
time  to  time,  whereby  the  people’s  appreciation  and 
taste  for  superior  presentations  would  be  developed. 

(c)  Many  good  people  demand  state  censorship ;  but 
this  has  many  dangers.  (Name  some.)  The  real  and 
most  efficient  censor  is  the  public  patronizing  the 
theatre;  but  the  people  must  be  educated  to  realize  its 
power  and  to  exercise  it  in  the  right  way.  The  public 
can  have  what  it  wants  if  it  makes  its  will  evident  by 
courteous  letters  expressing  approval  or  disapproval 
of  productions  and  by  boycotting  indecent  plays.  The 
ticket  office  is  exceedingly  sensitive  to  public  opinion. 

( d )  To  give  effect  to  approval  or  disapproval  a  “  white 
list  ”  might  be  kept  and  in  some  way  communicated  to 
friends  of  clean  and  intellectual  plays. 

Literature: 

Vincent,  “  Better  Not,”  49-62. 

Schiller,  “  Die  Schaubuehne  als  eine  moralische  Anstalt,”  IV,  39. 

Barker,  H.  G.,  “  The  Exemplary  Theatre.” 

2.  The  Dance  of  Modern  Society.  May  Christ’s 
references  to  dancing  be  considered  as  an  approval  of 
this  popular  amusement?  (Matt.  11:  17;  Luke  15:  25). 


116 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


It  must  be  observed,  (1)  that  these  references  are  very 
casual  and  do  not  mean  to  express  any  opinion  on  this 
form  of  amusement;  (2)  Customs  or  anything  else 
used  merely  as  illustrations  are  not  thereby  approved; 
(3)  The  dances  mentioned  in  the  Bible  were  per¬ 
formed  by  single  individuals — men  or  women — and 
therefore  do  not  come  within  the  chief  objection  to 
modern  promiscuous  dances.  But  even  these  individ¬ 
ual  dances,  when  performed  indecently,  are  indirectly 
denounced  in  the  Bible  (Matt.  14:  6).  (4)  The  issue 

must  not  be  obscured.  The  question  is  not  the  legiti¬ 
macy  of  expressing  emotions  in  rhythmic  movements, 
but  the  dangers  to  morality  lurking  in  the  dance  as 
modern  society  is  practicing  it .  Advocates  of  Chris¬ 
tian  morality  find  themselves  confronted  with  a  serious 
condition  and  not  with  a  mere  archaeological  theory. 

Various  Attitudes  on  Dancing 

(1)  The  uncompromising  opponents  hold  that  the  modern  forms 
of  the  dance,  combined  with  the  modern  modes  of  dress,  make 
the  custom  dangerous  in  the  extreme.  Its  evil  is  not  in  the 
environment,  but  in  the  thing  itself.  In  the  words  of  The 
Presbyterian — “  It  dissipates  the  mind,  sears  the  conscience, 
deadens  the  sensibilities,  often  destroys  health,  certainly  tends 
toward  the  lowering  of  morals,  is  utterly  incompatible  with  true 
holiness  and  separation  from  the  world,  burns  up  any  right 
religious  conviction,  incites  the  lowest  animal  passions,  and  sends 
its  giddy,  Godless  devotees  whirling  down  the  broad  avenue  of 
lust,  lewdness,  divorce,  broken  hearts,  and  wrecked  homes.” 
This  does  not  mean  that  every  one  who  dances  yields  to  any  or 
all  of  these  immoral  temptations— not  at  all,  but  it  does  mean  that 
no  one,  man  or  woman,  is  safe.  Moreover,  a  large  proportion  of 
ill  health  (especially  female  diseases  and  tuberculosis),  as  well 
as  poverty,  is  directly  traceable  to  the  dance  of  modern  society. 

(2)  The  Liberal  View  on  dancing  is  expressed  by  a  High 
Church  Episcopalian  in  these  words :  “  Dancing  is  a  legitimate 
form  of  amusement  for  Christians,  and  it  may  quite  properly  be 


THE  PLAY  INSTINCT  IN  MAN 


117 


accompanied  by  lively  and  alluring  music.”  A  Jewish  editor 
seconds  this  Christian  brother,  saying :  “  There  is  nothing  in¬ 
decent  or  vulgar  about  the  new  dances,  if  they  are  indulged  in 
by  the  right  people  in  the  proper  place  and  proper  environment.” 
Whatever  immodesty  and  indecency  does  occur  is  attributed  to 
the  character  of  the  young  people  concerned  and  the  place — that 
is,  dance  halls  of  a  certain  type. 

(3)  The  Mediating  View  on  dancing  is  explained  by  The  Re¬ 
formed  Church  Messenger  as  follows:  “As  a  rule,  dancing  and 
card-playing  church  members  are  not  very  good  Christians.  We 
do  not  mean  that  an  occasional  and  incidental  indulgence  in  these 
enjoyments  will  necessarily  condemn  a  believer,  but  we  do 
believe  most  strongly  that  these  practices  indulged  in  regularly 
and  persistently  are  destructive  of  piety,  high  morality,  and 
Christian  devotion.  The  evidence  from  experience  is  clear  and 
very  strong.” 

(4)  The  lustful  conception  of  the  dance  is  found  among  all 
classes  of  society  and  is  often  frankly  avowed.  These  degener¬ 
ates  make  use  of  the  free  forms  sanctioned  by  society  at  modern 
dances  for  the  gratification  of  their  lower  passions.  The  people 
of  this  class  often  arrange  their  own  “  balls,”  behind  closed  doors 
or  under  close  supervision  of  the  police;  but  individuals  of  this 
type  find  their  way  to  some  of  the  best  chaperoned  dances,  as 
the  police  courts,  the  “  Door  of  Hope  ”  records  and  other  evidence 
sufficiently  prove. 

Questions: 

(1)  Should  not  an  amusement  be  discouraged  which,  like  the 
modern  dance,  is  so  beset  with  dangers  that  it  must  be  surrounded 
by  all  kinds  of  safeguards? 

(2)  What  is  the  scientific  estimate  of  the  physical  and  moral 
effects  of  dancing?  (Moxcey,  “Girlhood  and  Character, ”  230- 
233). 

Literature: 

Vincent,  “  Better  Not,”  62-78. 

Dallman,  William,  “  The  Dance.” 

3.  Various  Games.  Clean  games  of  all  sorts  rest 
the  mind,  pass  the  time  pleasantly,  contribute  to  so¬ 
ciability  and  some  stimulate  the  intellect.  (Enumerate 
some!) 


118 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Questions: 

(1)  Why  are  games  of  chance  dangerous? 

(2)  Why  is  gambling  a  pernicious  form  of  amusement? 

(3)  Why  would  Jesus  not  approve  of  entertainments  into  which 
superstition  enters,  such  as  fortune-telling,  palmistry,  Ouija 
board,  magic,  the  horoscope,  etc.  ? 

4.  Intimate  Friendship.  Being  a  normal,  not  an 
artificial  man,  Christ  cultivated  personal  intimacies 
(John,  the  Three,  the  Twelve,  the  family  of  Martha 
and  Mary).  So  did  also  Paul  and  Peter  (Phil.  2:  20; 
1  Pet.  5:  15).  The  enjoyment  of  true  friendship  con¬ 
tributes  materially  to  recreation.  The  danger  of  inti¬ 
mate  friendships  is  that  they  may  degenerate  into 
cliques  and  rings  to  “  run  things  ”  in  society,  politics, 
churches  and  schools. 

Note.  Secret  Societies.  May  the  arguments  in  favour  of  inti¬ 
mate  friendships  be  used  in  favour  of  membership  in  secret  so¬ 
cieties?  In  the  main  there  are  three  attitudes  represented  among 
churchmen  and  good  patriots  regarding  this  question,  (a)  The 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  a  few  small  Protestant  denominations 
and  many  individuals  in,  as  well  as  outside  of,  the  Churches 
oppose  the  system  of  secret  societies.  Their  argument  is  that 
the  membership  in  these  orders  is  recruited,  not  from  men  of 
high  ideals,  but  from  those  who  seek  to  secure  an  advantage  by 
such  association,  to  the  disadvantage  of  others.  Secret  societies 
or  individual  members  are  charged  with  interfering  in  the  affairs 
of  Church,  state,  court,  school  and  business  affairs  to  the  detri¬ 
ment  of  high  morality.  ( b )  Other  good  Christians  and  patriots 
deny  these  allegations.  One  of  them  says :  “  I  never  saw  or  heard 
anything  in  a  Masonic  meeting  which  would  offend  the  most 
sensitive  Christian  conscience.  Masonry  does  not  assume  the 
functions  or  the  place  of  the  Church.  None  of  its  ceremonies 
even  remotely  attempts  to  suggest  or  supplant  any  of  the  sacra¬ 
ments  of  the  Church.”  (c)  The  great  majority  of  the  people 
advocate  personal  liberty  and  individual  self-determination  in 
this  matter. 


THE  PLAY  INSTINCT  IN  MAN 


119 


Questions: 

1.  Is  there  any  foundation  for  the  belief  that  Jesus  and  John 
were  Masons? 

2.  What  arguments  are  advanced  against  religious  and  polit¬ 
ical  leaders  being  members  of  secret  societies? 

Literature: 

Speer,  “The  Principles  of  Jesus,”  72. 

Poems :  Schiller,  “  Die  Freundschaft.” 

Moore,  “The  Veil  of  Avoca”  (Bryant’s  Coll.  I,  116)  ;  Burns, 
“  Auld  Fang  Syne”  (Bryant’s  Coll.  I,  118). 

Hechetborn,  C.,  “  Secret  Societies,”  2  vol. 

Mackey,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Free  Masonry.” 

Herzog — Hauck’s  Realencyclop.,  3rd  ed.  on  “  Freimaurer.” 

VII.  Special  Times  and  Seasons  for  Recreation 

Christ’s  belief  in  the  value,  personality  and  per¬ 
fectibility  of  man  would  suggest  that  He  is  in  favour 
of  plenty  of  leisure  time  as  a  recreation  in  itself  and 
as  a  condition  for  enjoying  other  recreations  (Mark 
6:  31).  It  is  misreading  the  Gospels  to  suppose  that 
our  Lord  was  always  doing  something  and  saying 
something;  always  going  somewhere,  always  laying 
some  new  plans,  always  engaged  in  unfolding  and 
carrying  out  some  new  enterprises.  This  is  rather  a 
description  of  what  is  known  as  “Americanitis,”  a 
peculiar  disease  that  has  afflicted  us  Americans  more 
than  any  other  nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  We 
are  very  feverish  and  hasty.  We  are  what  some  peo¬ 
ple  call  “  hustlers,”  and  other  people  have  called 
“  boosters.”  Christ,  on  the  contrary,  favoured  daily, 
weekly,  annual  and  periodical  rest  periods. 

1.  Christ  observed  the  weekly  rest  day  and  laid 
down  the  only  valid  principle  for  Sabbath  observance 
in  all  ages:  “  The  Sabbath  zvas  made  for  man  ”  that  is, 
for  his  benefit.  Anything  that  interferes  with  the 


120 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


working  out  of  this  principle  is  wrong.  We  must, 
however,  learn  to  make  sharp  distinctions  between 
Divine  principles  which  are  unchanging  and  their  ap¬ 
plication  to  concrete  conditions  which  may  differ  at 
different  times,  because  these  conditions  change  con¬ 
stantly.  In  the  days  of  the  Jewish  Pharisees  and  the 
old  Puritans  the  application  of  Christ’s  principle 
meant:  “Stop  your  nonsensical  restrictions  regarding 
the  observance  of  the  rest  day,  for  they  make  this  day 
of  blessing  a  heavy  burden.”  To-day,  when  false 
liberalism  demands  a  wide-open  Sunday,  the  applica¬ 
tion  of  the  same  principle  means:  “Away  with  your 
laxity  which  tends  to  rob  the  people  of  one  of  the 
greatest  social  boons — a  quiet,  care-free  rest  day!  ”  It 
is  one  of  the  great  tragedies  of  history  that  that  class  of 
men  which  has  profited  most  by  the  Church’s  insistence 
on  a  rational  observance  of  Sunday,  namely  the  labour 
class,  should  allow  itself  to  be  used  in  breaking  down 
the  safeguards  of  a  work-free  Sunday! 

Questions: 

(1)  What  kind  of  a  program  for  the  use  of  Sunday  in  home, 
church  and  community  would  accord  with  Christ’s  idea  of  the 
Sabbath? 

(2)  What  are  the  churches  doing  to  recreate  the  people  in 
harmony  with  Christ’s  teachings  regarding  the  Sabbath? 

2.  Christ  also  observed  the  annual  Jewish  feasts, 
which  in  large  part  were  social  affairs,  involving 
travel,  intercourse  with  friends,  feasting,  processions, 
community  singing,  sightseeing,  etc.  One  reason  why 
American  Protestants  should  observe  the  church  year 
is  the  social  value  of  the  Christian  festivals.  In 
Europe  the  people  observe  two  or  three  work-free  days 
at  Christmas,  Easter  and  Pentecost,  hallowed  by  divine 
services  and  made  the  source  of  joy  and  happiness 


THE  PLAY  INSTINCT  IN  MAN 


121 


through  family  reunions,  visits,  etc.,  on  the  so-called 
“  second  ”  and  “  third  ”  festal  days.  Whatever  tends 
to  resting  body  and  mind,  or  breaks  the  monotony  of 
life,  encouraging  sociability  and  good  feeling,  has  a 
decided  social  value  in  that  it  makes  people  happier, 
healthier,  better  and  more  contented  with  their  lot  in 
life  and  should  therefore  be  encouraged  by  the  Church. 
The  halo  surrounding  Christian  festivals,  moreover, 
tends  to  heighten  the  psychological  and  physical  effects 
of  a  work-free  day,  a  thing  which  no  mere  secular 
holiday  can  produce. 

3.  Christ  also  favoured  longer  periods  of  vacation 
and  travel  (Mark  6:  31).  The  churches  should  teach 
and  practice  the  principle  that  every  person  is  entitled 
to  some  kind  of  a  real  annual  vacation.  This  is  every¬ 
body’s  right  and  the  practice  pays  in  many  ways. 
(How  does  it  pay?) 

VIII.  The  True  Source  of  Happiness 

Since  the  object  of  indulging  in  all  kinds  of  amuse¬ 
ments  is  to  find  happiness,  Christ  is  careful  to  show 
the  true  source  from  which  all  happiness  flows: — true 
piety,  love  to  God  and  man,  a  disposition  to  do  right. 
Happiness  is  a  by-product  of  true  religion.  In 
Matthew  5:  3-16  Jesus  expresses  these  truths,  saying 
in  effect:  “  Happy  is  not  the  person  who  dresses  well, 
eats  daintily,  dances  frequently  and  enjoys  the  theatre 
(Oh,  how  much  unhappiness,  envy  and  jealousy  is 
often  found  in  connection  with  these  coveted  things!)  ; 
but  happy  are  the  humble,  the  idealistic,  the  merciful, 
the  peace-loving  souls ! 

Literature: 

Hilty,  “Gluck”  (Happiness),  III,  177. 

Brinton,  “  The  Quest  for  Happiness.” 


CHAPTER  XIV 


DISEASE  AND  HEALTH 

Parallel  Readings: 

Fisher  and  Fishe,  “  How  to  Five.” 

King,  “  Rational  Riving.” 

Cotton,  Henry,  A.,  “  The  Defective,  Delinquent  and  Insane.” 
Vedder,  “The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democ¬ 
racy,”  chap.  8. 

Rauschenbusch,  “A  Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  180-184. 
Hutchinson,  W.,  “  Common  Diseases,”  and  “  Preventable 
Diseases.” 

Webb,  “  The  State  and  the  Doctor.” 

Gibbon,  “  Medical  Benefit  in  Germany  and  Denmark.” 

Smith,  S.  G.,  “  Social  Pathology.” 

Sinclair,  U.,  “  The  Book  of  Rife,”  Part  III. 

Devine,  E.,  “  Social  Works.” 

Moore,  B.,  “  Dawn  of  Health.” 

Uhlhorn,  “  Christian  Charity,”  277-416. 

Morgan,  Gerald,  “  Public  Relief  of  Sickness.” 

Jenks,  J.  W.,  “  Governmental  Action  for  Social  Welfare.” 
Griffith,  “  The  Care  of  the  Body.” 

Hey,  “  Gesundheit — Quell.” 

Huckel,  Oliver,  “  The  Habit  of  Health.” 

Henderson,  “  Social  Duties,”  138-153. 

Speer,  R.,  “  Principles  of  Jesus,”  161. 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Riving,”  14-15. 

Poems:  Bryant,  “New  Ribrary  of  Poetry,”  I,  344  (“Rainy 
Day,”  by  Rongfellow) ;  I,  374,  (“  The  Changed  Cross  ”) ; 
“  Geduld,”  by  Spitta. 

We  will  now  visit  the  individual  in  the  sick-room 
and  let  the  light  of  Christ’s  Social  Gospel  fall  on  the 
important  subject  of  health  and  disease.  For  the  sick 


122 


DISEASE  AND  HEALTH 


123 


form  a  large,  though  constantly  changing  social  group 
with  a  definite  group-consciousness  and  class-psychol¬ 
ogy* 

I.  Historical  Background 

Disease  of  all  sorts  seems  to  have  prevailed  in  Pales¬ 
tine  in  Christ’s  time,  especially  leprosy  and  blindness, 
both  probably  resulting  from  poverty,  unclean  habits 
and  immorality.  The  hygienic  regulations  of  the  law 
of  Moses  were  still  enforced.  Reputable  physicians 
were,  however,  not  found  among  the  Jews,  the  few 
primitive  health  laws  being  administered  by  the  priests 
and  local  officials.  The  Greeks  and  Romans  had 
trained  physicians,  protected  by  a  special  deity,  yEscu- 
lapius.  Luke  was  a  physician  (Col.  4:  14).  The 
Romans  were  very  fond  of  elaborate  bathing  estab¬ 
lishments.  Even  in  their  northernmost  colonies  (at 
Wiesbaden  and  Baden-Baden,  in  Germany),  the  ruins 
of  Roman  steam  baths  were  excavated. 

II.  Christ’s  Attitude  Toward  Disease 

(1)  The  Gospels  do  not  record  that  Jesus  was  ever 
sick  and,  considering  His  divine  nature  and  sinless 
mode  of  living,  He  probably  never  was  ill.  Some  hold 
that  even  His  death  was  not  due  to  any  physical  de¬ 
rangement  but  that,  when  all  was  fulfilled,  He  volun¬ 
tarily  “laid  down  His  life”  (see  Vollmer,  “Modern 
Student’s  Life  of  Christ,”  265).  On  one  occasion, 
however,  His  friends,  His  enemies  and  even  His  family 
expressed  the  belief  that  Jesus  was  near  a  nervous 
breakdown  from  overwork  (Mark  3:  21;  Matt.  12:  24, 
47).  (2)  Jesus  clearly  recognized  the  reality  of  dis¬ 

ease.  Proof-texts  for  this  are  numerous.  (3)  For 
this  reason  He  respected  the  health-laws  of  Israel 


124 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


(Luke  17:  14),  and  when  He  touched  some  lepers  He 
did  so  only  from  motives  of  kindness.  (4)  Healing 
was  far  from  being  a  subordinate  part  of  His  work. 
No  less  than  seventy-six  instances  are  recorded  in  the 
New  Testament,  and  in  several  places  it  is  stated  that 
Christ’s  healing  service  extended  to  “  great  multi¬ 
tudes  ”  (Mark  8:16-17;  12:5;  Luke  9:11;  John 
4:  46).  The  diseases  healed  were  of  all  kinds — con¬ 
stitutional  and  mental.  (5)  Several  times  the  use  of 
customary  remedies  is  mentioned  (John  9:  6;  Mark 
8:  23;  1  Tim.  5:  23;  James  5:  IT-16).  (6)  Christ’s 

encouragement  “  to  rest”  (Mark  6:31)  was  clearly 
meant  as  a  prophylactic  measure  for  preserving  good 
health.  His  occasional  practice  of  fasting,  however, 
did  not  result  from  any  conscious  recognition  of  its 
hygienic  value.  (7)  Christ  regarded  sin  as  the  cause 
of  disease ,  especially  in  the  case  of  the  demoniacs  (John 
5:  14;  Matt.  8:  16).  But  only  in  the  general  sense, 
for  He  rejected  the  ancient  belief  (which  is  still  with 
us)  that  exceptional  suffering  was  always  a  proof  of 
special  sinfulness  and  of  Divine  displeasure  (John 
9:  2-3).  (8)  Three  times  Christ  came  in  touch  with 

people  whose  sickness  had  resulted  in  death,  and  in 
each  case  He  gave  free  expression  by  word  and  action 
to  the  social  virtue  of  sympathy  and  kindness  while 
rebuking  the  immoderate  expressions  of  grief.  (9) 
Two  of  these  three  cases  permit  a  glimpse  into  the 
simple  burial  custom  of  Christ’s  days,  forming  such  a 
great  contrast  to  the  expensive  and  showy  funerals  of 
modern  America. 

III.  The  Healing  Ministry  of  the  Church 

1.  In  the  Apostolic  Church.  Jesus  promised  His 
Apostles  to  endow  them  with  power  to  heal  diseases 


DISEASE  AND  HEALTH 


125 


(Matt.  10:  7,  8;  Mark  6:  13;  16:  15-18;  Luke  9:  1, 
2,  6).  (1)  These  promises  were  gloriously  fulfilled 

in  the  Apostolic  Church  (Acts  3:  1,  10;  5:  15-16; 
8:  5-8;  14:  8;  19:  11,  12;  28:  8,  9,  etc.).  (2)  Heal¬ 
ing  seems  to  have  been  a  common  practice  in  the 
Apostolic  congregations,  performed  by  the  officers  of 
the  churches,  as  the  famous  passage,  James  5:  14-15 
implies.  (See  Vollmer,  “Analytical  Studies  in  the 
New  Testament  Epistles  A) 

2.  The  Neglect  of  Direct  Healing  in  Subsequent 
Ages.  The  ministry  of  direct  healing  continued  long 
in  the  Post-Apostolic  Church;  but  finally  it  degener¬ 
ated  into  the  Roman  Catholic  sacrament  of  Extreme 
Unction  (“  ietzte  Oelung  ”),  which,  however,  still  con¬ 
tains  echoes  of  its  original  intention.  But  the  belief 
and  practice  of  direct  healing  never  died  out  entirely, 
as  history  shows. 

3.  Revival  of  Direct  Healing  in  Modern  Times. 
In  modern  times  we  may  distinguish  two  classes  of 
advocates  of  direct  healing:  ( a )  sincere  Christians, 
such  as  Rev.  Blumhardt,  in  Germany;  Miss  Trudel 
and  Rev.  Zeller  in  Switzerland ;  J.  M.  Moore,  in  Eng¬ 
land  and  the  Emmanuel  Movement;  also  the  genuine 
healings  at  Catholic  shrines.  Psychic  powers  no  doubt 
cooperated  in  these  cases,  but  leaders  and  people  as¬ 
cribed  the  success  to  prayer  alone.  ( b )  The  practition¬ 
ers  of  psychotherapy  (psyche — -soul;  therapy,  healing) 
who  consider  it  as  legitimate  to  use  the  healing  quali¬ 
ties  residing  in  man  as  it  is  to  make  use  of  the  healing 
properties  in  plants,  minerals,  etc.  Dr.  Parker  says  of 
this  method,  “  The  new  factor  in  psychotherapy  is 
that  what  has  been  done  in  the  past  under  excitement, 
with  attending  mists  of  religious  enthusiasm  or  fanat¬ 
ical  exhilaration,  is  now  being  done  in  full  daylight 


126 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


with  a  considerable  amount  of  certainty  and  definite¬ 
ness  of  method.”  Hugo  Munsterberg:  “  After  de¬ 
voting  myself  to  psychotherapy  for  twenty  years,  and 
after  curing  many  hundreds  of  patients  by  psycho- 
therapeutical  means,  I  still  feel  that  we  are  only  in  the 
beginning  of  real  knowledge  in  that  field.” 

Note.  There  are  seventeen  different  systems  of  mental  thera¬ 
peutics  which  are  or  have  been  in  vogue  in  recent  years.  As  I 
recall  them  they  are:  (i)  Faith-cure,  (2)  Suggestion,  (3)  Auto¬ 
suggestion,  (4)  Mesmerism,  (5)  Weltmerism,  (6)  Hypnotism, 
(7)  Fetichism,  (8)  Charms,  (9)  Incantations,  (10)  Christian 
Science,  (11)  Divine  Science,  (12)  Musical  Therapeutics,  (13) 
Animal  Magnetism,  (14)  Laying  on  of  Hands,  (15)  Dowieism, 
(16)  Gospel  Healing  and  (17)  Christian  Healing  (Emanuel 
Movement). 

IV.  The  Duty  of  the  Church  Regarding  the 
Problem  of  Direct  Healing 

1.  Provisions  should  be  made  for  a  thorough  study 
of  this  important  subject,  uninfluenced  by  conservative 
or  fanatical  prejudices.  As  in  other  cases,  ignorance 
has  deprived  the  Church  of  great  blessings  and  pre¬ 
pared  the  soil  for  the  rise  of  “  healing  sects.”  The 
following  books  contain  reliable  information: 

Wilson,  H.  B.,  “  The  Revival  of  the  Gift  of  Healing.” 

Dresser,  H.  W.,  “  Spiritual  Health  and  Healing.” 

Jacobs,  “  Suggestion  and  Psychotherapy.” 

Buckley,  “Faith  Healing,  Christian  Science  and  Kindred 
Phenomena.” 

Carter,  “  Divine  Healing.” 

Dubois,  “Psychic  Treatment  of  Nervous  Disorders.” 

McDonald,  “  Mind,  Religion  and  Health.” 

Schofeld,  “  The  Force  of  Mind.” 

Worcester,  “  Religion  and  Medicine.” 

Krebs,  S.,  “  The  Law  of  Suggestion.” 

Cutten,  “  Psychological  Phenomena  of  Christianity,”  196-231. 


DISEASE  AND  HEALTH 


127 


2.  New  Testament  Teaching  on  Healing.  (1)  Di¬ 
rect  divine  healing  in  answer  to  sincere  prayer  is  the 
privilege  of  believers  to-day  as  in  New  Testament  times 
(Heb.  13:  8).  (2)  Such  prayer  must,  however,  be 

submissive f  for  God  does  not  always  heal  and  He  can¬ 
not  be  forced,  manipulated  or  bribed  (2  Cor.  12:9; 
John  11:  1;  Acts  9:  37;  2  Tim.  4:  20).  (3)  As  to 

our  attitude  to  the  use  of  means,  two  extremes  must  be 
avoided:  it  is  wrong  to  say:  “  We  must  always  use 
means,”  for  this  denies  the  possibility  of  God’s  direct 
healing  and  contradicts  experience ;  and  it  is  fanatical 
to  say:  “We  must  never  use  means,”  for  this  shows  a 
stubborn  spirit  and  may  result  in  murder.  (4)  In  our 
teaching  we  should  stress  the  fact  that  the  following 
“  benevolent  emotions  ”  are  not  only  ethically  right  but 
also  physically  conducive  to  good  health,  such  as 
Beauty,  Patriotism,  Love,  Hope,  Faith,  Courage,  Hap¬ 
piness,  Justice,  Honour,  Truth,  Enthusiasm,  Mirth; 
and  also  that  the  following  “malevolent  emotions” 
are  not  only  immoral  but  also  strengthen  the  disease 
germ  in  our  body: — Hate,  Anger,  Revenge,  Jealousy, 
Worry,  Shame,  Guilt,  Fear,  Lust,  Sorrow.  It  has, 
e.  g.,  been  proved  that  a  “  good  hater  ”  becomes  pre¬ 
maturely  aged.  The  body  changes  are  affected  to  his 
detriment.  One  who  gets  angry  and  gives  way  to  its 
expression  increases  its  power.  Unwholesome  reflexes 
reverberate  over  the  nervous  system  into  the  muscular, 
circulatory,  glandular  and  digestive  systems.  (5)  Di¬ 
rect  healing  should  be  actually  put  into  practice.  At 
a  recent  meeting  of  British  bishops  and  eminent 
physicians  the  clergy  was  urged  to  make  constant  ex¬ 
periments  in  curing  mental  disorders  by  prayer,  “  be¬ 
cause  in  that  way  they  soon  would  regain  the  Christ- 
like  healing  power.”  Dr.  Montague  Lomax,  a  famous 


128 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


alienist,  advocated  as  a  part  of  the  treatment  in  every 
insane  asylum,  “  Solemn  services  of  intercession  con¬ 
ducted  by  a  minister ;  soothing  religious  music ;  restful 
colours  so  arranged  as  to  depict  scenes  from  the  Scrip¬ 
tures. ^  Explaining  his  views  he  said:  “  I  have  a  pro¬ 
found  belief  in  man’s  spiritual  nature  and  in  the  ex¬ 
istence  of  the  human  pneuma  or  spirit,  as  distinct  from 
the  psyche  or  soul.  It  is  the  psyche  with  the  passionate 
and  mental  volitional  elements  which  is  liable  to 
mental  and  moral  disease.”  An  interesting  feature  of 
the  meeting  was  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of 
persons  who  testified  they  had  been  cured  of  insanity 
by  the  methods  suggested  by  the  speakers. 

V.  The  Church’s  General  Contribution 
Toward  Health  Promotion 

(1)  The  Church  by  insisting  on  Christianizing  the 
social  order  will  thereby  also  promote  the  people’s 
health,  for  through  the  elimination  of  the  slums, 
poverty,  gluttony,  unsanitary  factories,  the  abolition 
of  war,  etc.,  the  breeding  places  of  disease  will  be 
greatly  reduced.  We  are  told  that  the  physical  dis¬ 
eases  of  our  people  are  due  almost  exclusively  to  bad 
environments.  Tuberculosis,  typhoid,  infant  mortal¬ 
ity,  for  instance,  can  never  be  conquered  until  the 
multitudes  live  and  labour  under  conditions  which  are 
at  least  human.  We  are  just  beginning  to  realize  that 
the  moral  ills  and  depravities  of  our  people  are  like¬ 
wise  to  be  traced  to  the  same  polluted  soil  of  environ¬ 
ment.  Social  maladjustment,  industrial  oppression, 
political  injustice,  glaring  inequalities  of  wealth,  all 
these  do  have  their  baleful  effect  on  the  moral  and 
spiritual  man;  they  materialize  our  upper  class,  vul- 


DISEASE  AND  HEALTH 


129 


garize  our  middle  class  and  brutalize  our  lower  class. 
(2)  Christian  people  should  use  their  influence  in 
favour  of  Public  Welfare  departments  in  their  com¬ 
munities  and  encourage  the  practice  of  preventive 
medicine  for  all  classes,  rich  and  poor.  Preventive 
medicine  differs  from  private  practice  in  that  it  aims 
to  keep  the  people  well  instead  of  waiting  till  they  are 
sick.  The  doctor  of  the  future,  being  supported  by 
an  annual  retaining  fee  from  his  clients,  or  a  respect¬ 
able  salary  from  the  community,  will  consider  it  his 
sacred  duty  to  keep  a  watchful  eye  on  the  people’s 
health,  educating  the  public  in  personal  hygiene,  nu¬ 
trition  for  young  and  old,  physical  exercise  and  mass 
athletics,  provision  for  mental  and  emotional  satisfac¬ 
tions  through  social  and  recreational  activities.  (3) 
The  Church  should  in  every  way  assist  the  physician 
in  teaching  the  people  that  health  is  purchasable .  The 
price  is  the  observance  of  nature’s  four  great  physical 
opiates:  “Air,  water,  exercise  and  sleep.”  Taken  lib¬ 
erally  and  in  the  proper  proportion  the  road  to  normal 
health  is  easy.  Violated  in  a  single  instance,  and  the 
way  to  sickness  is  taken.  To  this  should  be  added  a 
high  standard  of  private  morality,  total  abstinence 
from  wrong  practices  and  self-control  as  to  the  legiti¬ 
mate  pleasures  of  life.  (4)  The  Church  should  be 
encouraged  and  amply  supported  in  continuing  her 
time-honoured  work  for  the  care  of  the  sick  ( a )  by 
maintaining  Christian  hospitals  and  Deaconess  Homes ; 
( b )  by  faithful  visitation  of  the  sick;  (c)  by  develop¬ 
ing  in  a  rational  manner  the  healing  powers  resident 
in  the  Christian  religion;  ( d )  by  encouraging  the  so¬ 
cialization  of  medical  treatment,  thus  discouraging  the 
commercialization  of  medicine  which  tends  to  put  the 
best  medical  help  out  of  reach  of  the  great  mass  of 


130 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


suffering  humanity.  (Read  Vollmer,  “The  Reforma¬ 
tion  a  Liberating  Force,”  pages  134-137.) 

Literature: 

Golden,  C.,  “  The  Deaconess  Motherhouse.” 

Bancroft,  Jane,  “  Deaconesses  in  Europe.” 

Questions: 

1.  What  is  the  Rockefeller  Foundation  doing  along  the  lines  of 
preventive  medicines? 

2.  To  what  do  you  attribute  the  growth  of  the  Christian 
Science  movement? 


VI.  Two  Sets  of  Health  Rules 


Food: 


Habits: 


I.  The  Fifteen  Rules  of  Health 

1.  Have  fresh  air  where  you  live  and 
work. 

2.  Wear  light,  loose,  porous  clothes. 

3.  Spend  part  of  your  time  in  the  open 
air. 

4.  Have  lots  of  fresh  air  where  you 
sleep. 

5.  Breathe  deeply. 

6.  Avoid  eating  too  much. 

7.  Do  not  eat  much  meat  and  eggs. 

8.  Eat  various  kinds  of  food. 

9.  Eat  slowly. 

10.  Have  your  bowels  move  at  least 
once  each  day. 

11.  Stand,  sit,  and  walk  erect. 

12.  Avoid  poisonous  drugs. 

13.  Keep  clean  and  avoid  catching  dis¬ 


Activity: 


eases. 

14.  Work  hard  but  play  and  rest  too. 

15.  Be  cheerful  and  learn  not  to  worry. 


DISEASE  AND  HEALTH 


131 


II.  Health  Rules,  by  “Fra  Elbertus” 

Whenever  you  go  out-of-doors  draw  the  chin  in, 
carry  the  crown  of  your  head  high,  and  fill  the  lungs  to 
the  utmost ;  drink  in  the  sunshine ;  greet  your  friends 
with  a  smile  and  put  soul  into  every  hand  clasp. 

Do  not  fear  being  misunderstood,  and  never  waste 
a  minute  thinking  about  your  enemies.  Try  to  fix 
firmly  in  your  mind  what  you  would  like  to  do,  and 
then  without  violence  of  direction  you  will  move 
straight  to  that  goal.  Keep  your  mind  on  the  great 
and  splendid  things  you  would  like  to  do;  and  then, 
as  the  days  go  gliding  by,  you  will  find  yourself  un¬ 
consciously  seizing  upon  the  opportunities  that  are  re¬ 
quired  for  the  fulfillment  of  your  desire.  Picture  in 
your  mind  the  able,  earnest,  useful  person  you  desire 
to  be,  and  the  thought  you  hold  is  hourly  transforming 
you  into  that  particular  individual. 

Thought  is  supreme:  preserve  a  right  mental  atti¬ 
tude — the  attitude  of  courtesy,  frankness,  and  good 
cheer.  To  think  rightly  is  to  create.  All  things  come 
through  desire,  and  every  sincere  prayer  is  answered. 
We  become  like  that  on  which  our  hearts  are  fixed. 


PART  IV 


The  Kingdom  and  the  Family 


CHAPTER  XV 
MARRIAGE  AND  DIVORCE 

Having  discussed  man  as  an  individual  we  now  pro¬ 
ceed  to  view  him  in  his  various  group  relations — 
domestic,  political,  economic  and  religious-— with  the 
object  of  showing  what  sort  of  a  society  in  the  con¬ 
crete  Christ’s  ideal  of  the  kingdom  of  God  would  re¬ 
sult  in  if  actually  reduced  to  practice.  In  so  doing  we 
will  not  rely  on  isolated  proof  texts  merely  but  will 
base  our  conclusions  on  the  fundamental  principles  of 
Christ’s  general  teaching. 

We  will  start  out  with  the  family,  which  is  the  old¬ 
est,  closest  and  most  essential  of  all  the  social  institu¬ 
tions  as  it  is  also  the  group  most  exposed  to  all  kinds 
of  dangers.  Jesus  singled  it  out  for  concrete  teaching, 
speaking  in  detail  on  marriage  and  divorce  as  well  as 
on  the  rights  and  duties  of  the  different  members  of 
the  family. 

MARRIAGE 

Parallel  Readings: 

Westermarck,  Edward,  “  The  History  of  Human  Marriage.” 

Goodsell,  W.,  “  A  History  of  the  Family  as  a  Social  and  Edu¬ 
cational  Institution.” 

Howard,  A.,  “  A  History  of  Matrimonial  Institutions.” 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  chap.  3. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  241  and 

251. 

Speer,  R.,  “  Principles  of  Jesus,”  76,  80,  84,  88. 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Living,”  87-100. 

*33 


134 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Cooley,  “  Social  Organizations,”  248-283.. 

Follett,  “The  New  State,”  204-206. 

Abbott,  to,  “  Christianity  and  Social  Problems,”  13S-158,  329- 
350. 

Gardner,  “The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Progress,”  277-306. 

Mathews,  S.,  “  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  chap.  4. 

Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  VIII,  423 ; 
V,  716. 

Vedder,  “The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democ¬ 
racy,”  387,  403. 

Stalker,  “  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  chap.  15. 

Key,  E.,  “  Love  and  Marriage.” 

Russel,  “  Marriage,”  chap.  6. 

Russel,  “  Christ  and  Civilization,”  94-96. 

Bryant,  “New  Library  of  Poetry,”  I,  135;  I,  143  (“A  Woman’s 
Question”)  ;  I,  180;  I,  208. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Prayers  of  the  Social  Awakening,”  85,  87. 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  chap.  12. 

Popeuse,  P.,  “  Applied  Eugenics.” 

Saleaby,  C.  W.,  “  Progress  of  Eugenics.” 

I.  Christ’s  Personal  Experience  of  Family 

Life 

Jesus  was  the  son  of  a  family  of  at  least  seven  chil¬ 
dren  (Matt.  12:46-50;  13:56;  Vollmer,  “Life  of 
Christ,”  72-74).  Being  the  oldest  of  them  He  was 
partly  responsible  for  the  support  and  the  spirit  of  the 
family,  especially  after  Joseph’s  death  (John  2:  1- 
11).  He  was  a  permanent  guest  in  the  home  of  one 
of  His  Apostles  and  the  occasioned  guest  in  many 
other  homes.  He  had,  moreover,  the  experience  which 
any  wide-awake  observer  may  have.  For  this  and 
more  weighty  reasons  Jesus  was  competent  to  teach 
authoritatively  also  on  this  important  institution. 

II.  Origin  and  Nature  of  Marriage 

(1)  According  to  Matthew  19:  6  Christ  considered 


MAEEIAGE  AND  DIYOECE 


135 


marriage  as  of  divine  origin  in  the  sense  that  it  is  writ¬ 
ten  in  man’s  sexual  nature,  was  definitely  instituted  by 
God  in  Eden  and  was  regulated  by  God’s  law.  (2) 
As  to  its  nature ,  marriage  is  a  physico-psychical  union 
of  two  human  beings  of  such  unique  intimacy  as  to 
constitute  a  new  personality.  “  The  two  shall  be  one 
flesh,”  or  in  the  words  of  the  ancient  Saxon  law: 
“  These  two  individuals  make  one  person.”  Marriage 
is  therefore  not  only  a  union  of  souls,  such  as  is  formed 
in  intimate  friendships,  but  also  a  union  of  bodies. 
There  are  therefore  three  distinct  personalities:  the 
male,  the  female  and  the  married  couple.  In  the  un¬ 
married  state  each  sex  expresses  only  one-half  of  the 
human  ideal.  (3)  The  bond  of  true  marriage  is  mu¬ 
tual  love  expressed  in  devotion  and  a  gradual  merging 
of  will  and  desire.  (4)  This  being  the  nature  of  mar¬ 
riage  it  follows  that  the  institution  must  be  monoga¬ 
mous  (neither  polygamous  nor  polyandrous),  for  the 
intimate  relation  declared  to  be  of  the  essence  of  true 
marriage  (“the  two  shall  be  one  flesh  ”)  can  only  be 
truly  realized  between  one  man  and  one  woman.  This 
truth  is  also  implied  in  the  fact  that  God  created  only 
one  woman  for  Adam  and  that  nature  has  always 
regulated  the  proportion  between  the  sexes  in  such  a 
way  that  there  was  only  one  woman  for  a  man  and  this 
equilibrium  was  usually  reestablished  very  soon  after 
“male-murdering”  wars.  (5)  As  to  its  duration, 
marriage  in  its  physical  sense  is  limited  to  this  world, 
because  the  reasons  for  it  are  absent  in  the  world  to 
come  (Matt.  22:  29-30;  Vollmer,  “The  Modern  Stu¬ 
dent’s  Life  of  Christ,”  219). 

Note.  To  regard  marriage  merely  as  a  private  or  social  con¬ 
tract  is  in  the  light  of  the  above  discussion  opposed  to  the  teach¬ 
ing  of  the  Bible  and  the  Church. 


136 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


III.  The  Obligation  of  Marriage 

(1)  Marriage  should  he  encouraged,  because,  it  is 
God’s  will,  nature’s  call,  in  most  cases  a  happy  state, 
a  training  school  in  unselfishness,  a  social  and  patriotic 
duty,  a  protection  against  temptation  and  a  means  of 
developing  many  dormant  powers  in  each  sex.  For 
these  and  other  reasons  marriage  is  a  much  higher  state 
than  celibacy. 

(2)  Absolved  from  the  duty  of  marriage,  accord¬ 
ing  to  Matthew  19:  12,  are  four  classes:  (1)  people 
physically  or  mentally  abnormal,  due  to  constitutional 
defects,  disease  or  crime;  (2)  people  prevented  by 
others:  in  Christ’s  time  by  sterilization,  to-day  by  se¬ 
vere  marriage  laws,  economic  disability,  or  any  other 
pressure;  (3)  people  engaged  in  Christian  work  mak¬ 
ing  marriage  inexpedient,  if  not  impossible  (mission¬ 
aries,  deaconesses,  etc.) ;  (4)  in  modern  times,  millions 
remain  unmarried  because  of  selfishness  on  the  part  of 
men  and  unreasonable  demands  on  the  part"  of  women. 
This  is  deplorable,  for  when  a  large  number  of  people 
refuse  to  enter  a  state  demanded  by  nature  it  bodes  ill 
for  society. 

Questions : 

1.  What  can  the  Church  do  to  bring  the  youth  together  under 
conditions  that  will  lead  to  happy  marriages? 

2.  What  are  the  social  dangers  of  too  rigorous  restrictions 
upon  marriages? 

3-  What  restrictions  should  be  placed  upon  marriage,  so  as 
to  secure  only  those  that  promise  to  be  happy? 


IV.  Purposes  and  Blessings  of  Marriage 

(1)  The  perpetuation  and  perfection  of  the  human 
race.  The  failure  of  so  many  of  the  best  people  to 


MARRIAGE  AND  DIYOECE 


137 


propagate  themselves  leads  to  the  deterioration  of  so¬ 
ciety  (see  Vollmer,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating 
Force,”  59-66).  (2)  Lawful  satisfaction  of  the  mat¬ 

ing  impulse,  which  is  so  fundamental  that  it  is  second 
only  to  the  instinct  for  self-preservation,  and,  through 
this,  the  promotion  of  sexual  purity  (Matt.  5:  27-32; 
1  Cor.  7 :  2,  5,  9).  (3)  Normal  development  of  all 

phases  of  personality  through  the  exercise  of  the  social 
virtues  of  love,  kindness,  self-control,  etc.  (4)  Good 
health  and  prolongation  of  life.  According  to  the 
United  States  census  married  men  live  longer  than 
bachelors,  and,  to  a  lesser  degree,  married  women  are 
longer  lived  than  spinsters.  Reasons:  (1)  The  func¬ 
tioning  of  all  natural  endowments  is  conducive  to 
mental  and  physical  health.  (2)  As  a  rule  married 
men  live  more  regular  lives,  are  less  exposed  to  illicit 
sexual  indulgence  and  are  usually  supervised  as  to 
health  by  their  wives.  Among  women  the  differences 
in  the  death-rates  between  married  and  single  are  not 
so  striking.  Indeed,  from  twenty  to  thirty  years  of 
age  married  women  have  a  higher  death-rate  than 
single  women,  in  the  proportion  of  about  five  to  four. 
This  is  probably  due  partly  to  the  influence  of  child¬ 
bearing  at  this  period. 

DIVORCE 

Parallel  Readings: 

Vollmer,  “  Modern  Student’s  Life  of  Christ,”  34-35,  101,  202. 

Angus,  “  Environment  of  Early  Christianity.” 

Consult  articles  on  “  Divorce  ”  in  some  of  the  Bible  Dictionaries 
and  general  encyclopaedias,  especially  the  Jewish  Encyc.  IV,  628, 
on  “  Divorce.” 

Abbott,  “  Christianity  and  Social  Problems,”  142. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  27,  28,  46, 
50-52,  90-92. 


138 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


I.  Historical  Background 

For  520  years  divorces  had  been  unknown  in  Roman 
society,  but  in  Christ’s  time  they  were  very  prevalent. 
Seneca  writes  sarcastically:  “  Our  women  marry  in 
order  to  be  divorced  and  they  sue  for  a  divorce  in 
order  to  remarry.  They  count  the  years  not  by  the 
reign  of  the  Consuls,  but  by  the  number  of  their  di¬ 
vorces.” 

Among  the  Jews  family  life  was  purer,  but  divorces 
abounded  to  a  large  extent.  The  stricter  group  among 
the  Pharisees,  led  by  Shammai,  interpreted  the  ambigu¬ 
ous  language  in  Deuteronomy  24:  1  to  mean  that  only 
fornication  was  a  ground  for  divorce,  while  the  liber¬ 
als,  led  by  Hillel,  held  that  if  a  man  saw  a  woman 
whom  he  liked  better,  or  if  a  wife  spoiled  his  meal,  he 
might  divorce  her. 

9 

II.  Christ’s  Opposition  to  Divorce 

Christ’s  attitude  toward  divorce  may  be  clearly  in¬ 
ferred  from  Matthew  5:  31-32;  19:  3-9;  Luke  16:  18. 
(1)  He  was  absolutely  opposed  to  it,  because  a  sever¬ 
ance  of  the  marriage  bond  contradicts  the  very  nature 
and  idea  of  marriage  as  a  physical,  psychical  and  moral 
life-union.  (2)  For  this  reason,  He  declared,  divorce 
had  not  been  provided  for  in  the  original  institution 
of  marriage,  and  this  being  the  case,  neither  an  in¬ 
dividual  nor  a  human  law  could  nullify  the  Divine  law 
of  marriage  as  laid  down  in  nature  and  Scripture.  (3) 
The  only  cause  for  legal  divorce  is  actual  divorce, 
brought  about  by  adultery  which  in  its  very  nature 
severs  the  life-union  of  marriage.  In  this  case  the 
court’s  function  is  simply  declarative — that  is,  to  as¬ 
certain  the  facts  and  declare  the  consequences.  (4) 


MARRIAGE  AND  DIVORCE 


139 


The  man  divorcing  his  wife  for  any  other  cause,  espe¬ 
cially  in  order  to  marry  another  woman,  commits 
adultery;  and  if  his  divorced  wife  also  remarries  he 
may  be  said  to  have  committed  double  adultery,  be¬ 
cause  he  has  enabled  her  to  remarry,  while  in  God’s 
sight  both  were  still  married  (Kent,  “  Social  Teach¬ 
ing  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  243).  (5)  Deuter¬ 

onomy  24:  1  permitted  the  husband  to  divorce  his 
wife  (not  vice  versa)  for  other  causes  than  adultery, 
but  this  permission  Christ  considered  only  as  a  con¬ 
cession  to  their  low  state  of  morality  and  loudly  pro¬ 
tested  against  an  interpretation  which  read  into  the  pas¬ 
sage  all  kinds  of  frivolous  matters.  (6)  The  bill  of 
divorce  to  be  given  to  the  divorced  wife  Christ  re¬ 
garded  as  a  protection  to  her  good  name  in  case  she 
was  divorced  for  one  of  the  minor  causes  (Vedder, 
“  Socialism  and  the  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  401).  (7)  But 

in  harmony  with  the  chief  principles  of  Christ’s  Gos¬ 
pel,  divorce  even  for  adultery  is  only  permissive  and 
not  mandatory.  For  in  cases  of  true  repentance  Christ 
would  encourage  continuance  of  the  marriage  relation 
(Zenos,  131). 

III.  Apostolic  and  Modern  Divorce  Problems 

1.  Paul ,  though  unmarried,  was  greatly  interested 
in  the  problems  connected  with  the  family.  To  un¬ 
derstand  his  position  and  especially  the  strongly  ascetic 
note,  e.  g.,  in  1  Cor.  7 :  8,  9,  32-35,  it  must  be  kept  in 
mind  that  his  teaching  on  the  subject  is  incidental  and 
was  influenced  by  the  immoral  atmosphere  at  Corinth 
as  well  as  by  the  belief  in  the  nearness  of  great  political 
and  social  transformations  through  the  expected  sec¬ 
ond  coming  of  Christ  (1  Cor.  7:28-32).  (2)  Ac¬ 

cording  to  1  Corinthians  7:  10,  11,  Paul  seems  to  have 


140 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


regarded  wilful  and  permanent  desertion  as  construct¬ 
ive  adultery  and  hence  a  second  cause  for  divorce.  (3) 
That  Paul  entertained  a  very  sublime  conception  of 
conjugal  love  and  marriage  may  be  proved  from 
Ephesians  5 :  25-32. 

2.  Three  Modern  Divorce  Problems.  (1)  While 
all  Bible  students  agree  that  Jesus  forbids  the  remar¬ 
riage  of  the  guilty  party  in  a  divorce  suit,  the  most 
competent  Protestant  scholars  have  never  been  able  to 
agree  on  an  answer  to  the  question,  whether  the  inno¬ 
cent  party  is  free  to  marry  again.  (2)  Should  adultery 
committed  in  the  heart f  as  stated  in  Matthew  5:  27-28 
(the  dying  of  love,  especially  if  evidenced  by  “  affin¬ 
ity  ”  for  another  person),  be  considered  a  ground  for 
divorce?  Never;  for  this  would  lead  to  “  free  love” 
which  in  fact  is  nothing  less  than  consecutive  polyg¬ 
amy.  (3)  In  defense  of  our  lax  divorce  laws  and 
practices  it  is  held  that  Christ’s  teachings  on  divorce 
cannot  be  enforced  in  an  only  partially  Christianized 
society  and  were  meant  only  for  the  citizens  of  God’s 
kingdom,  while  to  society  in  general  they  are  to  serve 
as  an  ideal  to  be  gradually  realized.  As  Moses  is  de¬ 
clared  by  Christ  without  criticism  to  have  adjusted  the 
ideal  marriage  law  of  Paradise  to  the  undeveloped 
state  of  his  people,  so  the  modern  Church  and  State 
may  do  likewise.  Whether  this  explanation  be  right 
or  wrong,  the  fact  is  that  our  forty-eight  states  act 
accordingly. 

IV.  Present  Status  of  the  Divorce  Evil  in  the 

United  States 

(1)  The  statistics  compiled  by  the  federal  census 
bureau  are  simply  appalling,  showing  that  there  were 
112,036  divorces  granted  in  the  United  States  in  1916. 


MARRIAGE  AND  DIVORCE 


141 


Excluding  from  these  figures  Roman  Catholics  who 
are  not  permitted  to  be  divorced,  the  rate  is  136  di¬ 
vorces  to  each  100,000  population.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  it  has  been  said  that  the  United  States  granted 
twice  as  many  divorces  during  the  last  thirty-five 
years  as  all  the  rest  of  Christendom  combined.  As 
the  same  records  show,  the  proportion  of  divorces  to 
marriages  has  multiplied  five  times  in  fifty  years.  (2) 
Some  of  the  causes  of  the  divorce  evil  may  be  enu¬ 
merated  as  follows:  (a)  hasty  and  inconsiderate  mar¬ 
riages;  (&)  the  conception  of  marriage  as  merely  a 
human  contract,  private  or  social;  (c)  woman’s  in¬ 
creased  rights  and  opportunities — legal,  business,  and 
social;  ( d )  unfavourable  economic  conditions;  (e) 
childlessness  and  idleness;  (/)  apartment  house,  board¬ 
ing-house  and  hotel  life;  ( g )  long-continued  separa¬ 
tion  for  business  or  pleasure;  (h)  lack  of  the  religious 
background.  (Illustrate  these  points.) 

V.  Cooperation  of  Church  and  Society  in  Im¬ 
proving  the  Marriage  Relation 

(1)  Encourage  marriage  at  the  normal  age  and  dis¬ 
courage  hasty  and  ill-advised  marriages  at  any  age. 
(2)  Uniform  federal  marriage  and  divorce  laws,  (3) 
Eugenic  examinations  of  both  partners  in  order  to 
secure  physically  and  morally  healthy  families,  thus  pre¬ 
venting  divorces.  (4)  Publicity  of  marriages  before 
their  solemnization.  (5)  Strict  upholding  of  the  equal 
standard  of  sex  morality.  Men  and  women  who  have 
been  proved  guilty  of  social  vice  should  not  be  en¬ 
couraged  in  society,  no  matter  how  much  money  they 
have.  Many  good  women  enforce  this  principle 
against  their  fallen  sisters  but  not  against  men.  (6) 
Creating  and  maintaining  a  clean,  moral  atmosphere 


142 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


in  all  social  relations  of  life — home,  school,  store,  office, 
factory,  amusement  places,  etc.  (7)  Persistent  fight 
for  the  extermination  of  prostitution  which  is  the  arch 
foe  of  the  home.  Most  of  the  weapons  suggested  in 
this  struggle  are  repressive  and  negative — licensing, 
segregation,  punishment.  One  of  the  most  potent 
positive  antidotes  to  sexual  vice  is  the  economic  se¬ 
curity  of  the  young  woman  and  early  marriages  on 
the  part  of  men.  (8)  Courts  of  domestic  relations 
and  to  a  large  extent  the  elimination  of  the  lawyer  in 
divorce  cases. 

Note.  An  amendment  to  the  United  States  Constitution  pro¬ 
posed  and  pushed  by  the  General  Federation  of  Women’s  Clubs 
covers  several  of  the  remedies  enumerated.  It  proposes  four 
causes  for  divorce,  physical  or  mental  cruelty,  proven  infidelity, 
desertion  for  one  year  or  more,  or  habitual  drunkenness.  It 
prohibits  marriage  of  girls  under  sixteen  and  boys  under  eighteen 
years  old,  and  requires  the  written  consent  of  the  parents  for  the 
marriage  of  a  girl  between  sixteen  and  eighteen  years  and  a  boy 
between  eighteen  and  twenty-one,  medical  certificates  prior  to 
marriage,  the  publication  of  bans  and  the  vesting  of  the  custody 
of  the  children  in  the  mother,  etc. 

VI.  The  Church’s  Special  Duties  Regarding 
Marriage  and  Divorce 

The  Church’s  great  mission  being  to  act  as  the  salt 
of  society,  she  has  special  duties  toward  the  institution 
which  is  the  most  fundamental  to  the  well-being  of 
Church  and  Society. 

1.  She  should  have  and  enforce  a  definite  doctrine 
and  practice  regarding  marriage  and  divorce.  The 
Roman  Catholic  Church  has  both.  She  regards  mar¬ 
riage  as  one  of  her  seven  sacraments  and  therefore 
opposes  divorce  on  any  ground  whatever,  while  per¬ 
mitting  permanent  legal  separation  “  from  bed  and 


MAEEIAGE  AND  DIYOECE 


143 


board.”  The  weakness  of  the  Roman  Church  is  that 
she  permits  divorces  to  enter  by  the  back  door,  espe¬ 
cially  in  the  case  of  distinguished  people,  recognizing 
innumerable  grounds  of  dispensation  and  countless  def¬ 
initions  of  prenuptial  impediments.  The  invalidating 
impediments  are  no  less  than  fifteen  in  number,  such 
as,  marrying  through  mistake  or  fraud  the  wrong  per¬ 
son;  fear  of  abduction,  too  young  to  understand  the 
responsibility  imposed  by  marriage,  physical  incapacity 
to  fulfil  the  conjugal  obligation,  consanguinity  of  par¬ 
ent  and  offspring.  Many  of  these  nullifications  are  en¬ 
forced  by  the  State  also.  General  Protestant  teaching 
sanctions  divorce  on  the  two  so-called  “  Biblical 
Grounds  ”  (adultery  and  permanent  desertion),  but  in 
practice  it  weakly  accepts  and  even  defends  the  policy 
of  the  state  whatever  it  may  be. 

2.  The  Church  should  enlighten  all  her  members 
and  especially  her  young  people  on  the  teaching  of 
Christ  and  the  Church  regarding  marriage,  its  obli¬ 
gations,  responsibilities  and  privileges,  and  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  domestic  economy.  Maturing  girls  and  boys 
should  be  taught  the  advisability  of  well-considered 
marriages.  Boys  especially  need  to  have  kindled  in 
them  a  chivalrous  respect  for  women  and  to  be  taught 
to  idealize  a  wife.  The  sacredness  and  purity  of  sexual 
love  and  courtship  should  be  occasionally  touched  upon 
in  pulpit,  Sunday  school  and  in  public  prayer;  never, 
however,  in  a  joking  manner  and  in  humorous  lan¬ 
guage.  (See  the  prayer  “  For  All  True  Lovers,”  in 
Rauschenbusch’s  “  Prayers  for  the  Social  Awaken¬ 
ing.") 

A  question  to  Pastors:  booking  over  your  subjects  for  the  last 
five  years,  how  often  have  you  preached  a  well-prepared  sermon 
on  any  phase  of  the  family? 


144 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


3.  Without  entering  upon  the  dangerous  expedient 
of  match-making  the  Church  through  her  organiza¬ 
tions  should  at  least  encourage  the  morally  healthful 
association  of  virtuous  young  men  and  women  also 
with  a  view  to  promote  the  practice  of  marriage.  The 
“  slam  ”  that  the  young  people  go  to  church  “  to  meet 
one  another  ”  should  be  taken  as  a  compliment  to  both 
parties — the  young  people  and  the  church.  It  is  cer¬ 
tainly  far  better  to  select  one’s  friends  and  life-partners 
in  the  church’s  moral  atmosphere  than  anywhere 
else. 

4.  Church  people  should  sternly  frown  upon  the 
double  standard  of  morality.  While  social  vice  is  con¬ 
doned  by  the  daily  press,  in  the  theatres,  in  business 
circles  and  in  fashionable  society,  the  Church  must 
stand  as  a  fortress  against  it,  not  only  to  save  itself, 
but  to  save  the  nation.  A  socially  corrupt  person  is  a 
traitor  to  his  country. 

5.  Let  the  ministers  frown  upon  and  absolutely 
refuse  to  have  a  part  in  anything  that  may  tend  to 
make  a  mockery  of  this  most  sacred  institution  for 
reasons  of  romance  or  publicity.  Even  the  decent  sec¬ 
tion  of  the  daily  press  has  recently  protested  against 
marriages  in  airplanes,  in  bathing  pools  and  in  other 
unconventional  environments. 

6.  While  the  wedding  party  should  certainly  be  a 
joyous  occasion,  Christian  young  people  should  be 
trained  to  exclude  from  it  the  unclean  and  suggestive 
in  song,  toast,  conversation  and  customs. 

7.  Church  weddings  of  an  inexpensive  character  so 
as  to  make  them  accessible  to  all  classes,  and  the  re¬ 
vival  of  the  ancient  custom  of  publishing  the  wedding 
on  one  or  more  preceding  Sundays  from  the  pulpit  in 
dignified  language  and  followed  by  a  prayer  would  also 


MARRIAGE  AND  DIVORCE 


145 


tend  to  impress  the  people  with  the  sacredness  of  mar¬ 
riage. 

8.  Americans  as  a  nation  are  believed  to  be 
thoughtless  and  irreverential ;  but  experience  shows 
that  clear  and  persistent  teaching  in  well-chosen  lan¬ 
guage  on  any  subject  of  religion  and  ethics  always 
finds  a  sympathetic  echo  among  the  better  portion  of 
our  people. 

Questions : 

1.  How  can  youth  be  educated  in  home,  church,  school,  liter¬ 
ature  and  drama  to  a  higher  appreciation  of  the  significance  and 
responsibility  of  marriage? 

2.  How  far  are  divorce  conditions  in  America  due  to  the 
present  belief  in  individualism,  and  to  the  economic  independence 
of  women? 

3.  What  is  being  done  in  America  to  combat  the  divorce  evil? 

4.  In  what  way  can  a  wise  judge  or  a  conscientious  lawyer 
prevent  rash  divorces? 


CHAPTER  XVI 


THE  CONSTITUENT  MEMBERS  OF  THE 

FAMILY 

The  family,  being  a  social  organism,  is  composed 
of  various  members.  These  are  husband,  wife,  chil¬ 
dren,  grandparents,  relatives  and  domestics. 

I.  The  Husband  and  Father 

1.  Christ  expressed  His  high  appreciation  of  the 
father  of  the  family  by  using  that  name  as  His  most 
distinctive  designation  of  God,  implying  thereby  that 
the  head  of  the  family  should  love,  provide  for  and 
protect  his  own. 

2.  What  are  the  qualities  the  ideal  husband  should 
possess f  Doctor  Dix  answers:  He  must  be  able  to 
support  his  family  in  decent  comfort,  for  there  can  be 
no  peace  or  happiness  in  a  household  where  the  wolf  is 
always  howling  at  the  door.  He  must  be  a  man  who 
commands  his  wife’s  respect,  for  no  woman  long  loves 
a  man  who  is  a  weakling  she  can  wrap  around  her 
finger.  He  must  be  just  and  liberal.  He  must  neither 
tyrannize  over  his  wife  nor  permit  her  to  bulldoze  him. 
He  must  be  generous  to  her  but  refuse  to  permit  her  to 
be  extravagant.  He  must  not  be  so  absorbed  in  busi¬ 
ness  as  to  forget  that  his  home  needs  a  head  to  it  just 
as  much  as  his  office  does.  He  must  realize  that  it  is 
more  important  to  give  his  wife  part  of  his  time  than 
it  is  to  give  her  diamonds  and  limousines.  He  must 

146 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  FAMILY 


147 


remember  that  it  is  just  as  much  up  to  a  man  to  help 
make  a  home  happy  as  it  is  to  a  woman,  and  to  do  this 
he  must  bring  good  humour  and  cheerfulness,  and  not 
glooms  and  grouches  with  him  when  he  returns  home 
of  an  evening.  He  must  take  an  interest  in  his  wufe’s 
affairs.  He  must  talk  over  with  her  the  problems  of 
the  household,  and  give  her  the  benefit  of  his  business 
experience  and  efficiency.  He  must  remember  that  a 
woman’s  wrork  is  dull  and  monotonous,  and  brighten 
it  by  giving  his  wife  all  the  diversion  he  possibly  can. 
He  must  take  his  wife  to  places  of  amusement,  and 
make  for  her  little  treats,  and  surprises.  He  should 
make  it  a  cast  iron  rule  never  to  take  things  for  granted 
with  his  wife,  but  to  compliment  her  on  her  thrift 
whenever  she  effects  a  saving,  to  pay  a  tribute  to  a 
good  meal,  and  to  notice  when  she  has  a  new  dress,  or 
has  done  her  hair  becomingly.  Three  compliments  a 
day  drive  divorce  away. 

3.  What  constitutes  a  good  father?  The  finest 
heritage  any  father  can  leave  his  children  is  the  legacy 
of  an  upright,  gentle,  useful  life.  A  man  who  will  not 
lie  or  steal,  who  is  straightforward  in  all  his  dealings, 
who  keeps  a  clean  tongue,  who  is  a  good  friend,  who 
does  his  duty  though  it  is  a  humble  one,  who  is  devoted 
to  his  wife  and  children,  giving  them  the  inspiration  of 
a  good  example,  and  who  lives  in  the  fear  of  God — this 
man  is  a  good  father.  The  sad  feature  of  our  modern 
civilization  is  that  the  home  gets  so  little  of  a  man’s 
energy  and  talent.  He  works  so  hard  at  business  that 
he  is  like  a  squeezed  orange  when  he  reaches  the 
domestic  circle.  Yet,  he  must  remember  that  a  father 
is  a  father,  just  as  much  as  a  mother  is  a  mother,  and 
that  he  is  failing  in  his  duty  if  he  does  not  give  some  of 
his  time  to  companionship  with  his  children. 


i 


148 


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II.  The  Wife  and  Mother 

Parallel  Readings: 

Hecker,  Eugene  A.,  “A  Short  History  of  Woman’s  Rights, 
from  the  days  of  Augustus  to  the  Present  Time.” 

Tacitus,  “  Germania,”  XX. 

Caesar,  J.,  “  De  Bello  Gallico,”  VI,  21. 

Clark,  H.  B.,  “  Mothers’  Problems.” 

Vedder,  “  The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democ¬ 
racy,”  85-107. 

Addams,  Jane,  “A  New  Conscience  and  an  Old  Evil.” 

Janney,  O.,  “  The  White  Slave  Traffic.” 

Speer,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  84. 

Bell,  Raley  Husted,  “  Woman  From  Bondage  to  Freedom.” 

Baerting,  Mathilde,  “  Die  weibliche  Eigenart  im  Mannerstaat 
und  die  mannliche  Eigenart  im  Frauenstaat.” 

“  Cry  of  Justice,”  165,  170,  171,  240,  873,  830,  877. 

Bryant,  “  New  Library  of  Poetry,”  II,  768;  II,  796;  I,  335. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Prayer  of  the  Social  Awakening,”  55,  85. 

1.  Christ* s  Respect  of  Woman.  Jesus’  high  regard 
for  woman  may  be  inferred  from  His  uniform  respect¬ 
ful  attitude  toward  the  sex,  associating  with  them, 
teaching  them  (John  4:  7),  treating  them  as  equals, 
calling  them  into  His  discipleship  (Luke  8:2),  protect¬ 
ing  them  against  the  male-made  double  standard  of 
morality  (John  7:  58-8:  11;  Luke  7:  44-50),  recog¬ 
nizing  their  devotion  to  religious  ideals  (Matt.  26:  10), 
insisting  on  fair  treatment  in  marriage  and  divorce 
affairs,  frowning  upon  any  tendency  to  consider  her 
merely  as  man’s  property,  slave,  plaything  or  the  ob¬ 
ject  of  his  lust.  The  superficial  charge  that  “  Christ 
never  did  anything  for  woman’s  emancipation  ”  may 
be  answered  by  showing  from  history  that  in  truth  the 
only  one  who  ever  did  anything  decisively  for  woman’s 
true  elevation  is  Christ  through  His  Church,  by  insist¬ 
ing  that  the  protecting  arms  of  the  laws  of  His  king- 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  FAMILY 


149 


dom  should  be  stretched  out  over  her  in  equal  propor¬ 
tions  as  over  the  man. 

Note.  A  comparison  of  John  2:4  with  John  19:26  shows  that 
in  Christ’s  time  as  to-day  the  address  “  woman  ”  was  a  term  of 
dignity,  even  of  tenderness. 

Readings: 

Shailer  Mathews,  “  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  96-101. 

Abbott,  “  Christianity  and  Social  Progress,”  149. 

2.  The  Woman  as  Wife.  (1)  The  true  wife  will 
be  a  real  helpmeet  for  her  husband.  That  is,  she  will 
enter  into  all  his  plans  with  interest  and  sweeten  all  his 
troubles  with  her  sympathy.  She  will  try  to  manage 
the  affairs  of  her  household  so  economically  that  the 
family  will  be  able  to  live  within  their  means,  and  put 
by  something  for  the  proverbial  “  rainy  day.”  Mar¬ 
riage  is  a  partnership,  and  the  wife  should  seek  to 
manage  her  department  in  such  a  way  as  to  minister 
to  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of  the  firm.  (2)  In 
family  and  society  it  is  the  ideal  mission  of  woman 
(mother,  sister,  wife  and  friend)  to  exert  a  restraining 
influence  upon  the  male  (beginning  with  the  infant), 
and  to  encourage  him  to  pursue  high  ideals.  Millions 
of  women  have  fulfilled  this  high  mission,  while  there 
are  not  a  few  who  drag  men  down  into  the  mire.  Pro¬ 
fessor  Snowden  says:  “Is  not  many  a  business  man 
driven  to  speculation  and  embezzlement  because  he  has 
in  his  home  a  devotee  of  fashion  who  is  ever  imperi¬ 
ously  demanding  more  money  ?  Has  not  many  a  hus¬ 
band  been  enmeshed  in  his  wife’s  laces  and  strangled 
by  her  ribbons?  An  ambitious,  selfish  spirit  in  the 
home  may  reach  out  and  work  sad  ruin  in  the  world.” 
(3)  Many  a  wife  commits  the  mistake  of  criticizing 
her  husband  too  much.  She  recognizes  his  faults,  and 


150 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


feels  that  it  is  her  mission  to  do  all  she  can  to  improve 
him.  Some  wives  make  the  mistake  of  expecting  too 
much  attention  from  their  husbands.  Here  is  a  wife 
who  has  been  alone  all  day,  and  thinks  that  her  husband 
should  devote  his  whole  evening  to  her.  (4)  To  be¬ 
come  a  good  wife,  our  daughters  must  be  taught  to  look 
upon  home-making  and  motherhood  as  a  serious  pro - 
fession  which  must  be  learned,  and  not  merely  as  a 
continuous  picnic  or  honeymoon.  No  one  else  can 
take  her  place  in  this  job.  If  she  shirks  or  neglects  it, 
or  “  doesn’t  know  how  to  manage,”  there  is  no  home; 
no  guarantee  of  safety  for  the  children;  the  whole 
community  suffers,  and  ultimately  society  and  civiliza¬ 
tion,  as  we  know  them,  are  threatened.  Girls  need 
training  for  home-making.  Not  just  cooking  and  sew¬ 
ing,  but  knowledge  of  sanitation,  and  laws  of  hygiene, 
chemistry  of  foods,  child  care  and  budget-making ! 
By  keeping  accounts,  for  example,  grouped  and  classi¬ 
fied,  she  can  explain  to  her  husband  intelligently  where 
the  money  goes. 

3.  Woman  in  Public  Life.  (1)  From  Christ’s 
high  appreciation  of  personality  without  any  distinc¬ 
tions  as  well  as  from  the  general  principles  operating 
in  God’s  kingdom  and  His  own  uniform  practice,  we 
may  infer  that  Jesus  would  encourage  woman  to  claim 
her  rightful  place  in  society,  including  public  life  and 
suffrage.  There  are  no  real  arguments  against 
woman’s  suffrage,  only  prejudices.  (2)  But  like  all 
progressive  movements,  feminism  needs  spiritual  direc¬ 
tion.  In  the  day  of  her  triumph  woman  needs  the 
Gospel  more  than  ever  to  save  the  sex  from  degenera¬ 
tion.  (3)  Let  woman  remember  that  wifehood  and 
motherhood  will  be  her  highest  career  in  the  future  as 
they  were  in  the  past.  (4)  As  to  public  life,  good 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  FAMILY 


151 


patriots  expect  from  woman’s  enfranchisement  three 
things:  (a)  a  decisive  contribution  toward  a  better 
balanced  government.  Says  a  prominent  woman:  “  I 
can  conceive  of  nothing  worse  than  a  man-governed 
world,  except  a  woman-governed  world.  But  I 
can  see  the  combination  of  the  two  going  forward 
and  making  civilization  more  worth  the  name 
of  civilization  based  on  Christianity,  not  force,  a 
civilization  based  on  justice  and  mercy.  I  feel  men 
have  a  greater  sense  of  justice  and  we  of  mercy. 
They  must  borrow  our  mercy  and  we  must  use  their 
justice.”  (5)  A  firmer  insistence  on  a  higher  grade 
of  personal  character  in  public  officials.  History  points 
out  the  bad  women  in  politics,  using  their  personal 
charm  and  intellectual  gifts  to  drag  down  kings  and 
politicians  in  the  mire  of  immorality  and  tyranny; 
they  were  women  controlled  by  lust,  ambition,  love  of 
gain,  and  luxury.  Some  prominent  examples  are: 
Jezebel,  Cleopatra,  Herodias,  Bloody  Mary,  Mary 
Stuart,  Katherine  of  Russia,  Catherine  de  Medici  and 
Empress  Eugenie.  May  not  part  of  the  social  and  polit¬ 
ical  corruption  of  modern  times  be  due  to  the  baleful 
influence  of  such  women  upon  leading  men?  The 
good  woman,  therefore,  must  be  encouraged  to  make 
also  her  influence  felt  in  politics,  (c)  A  more  right¬ 
eous  government,  just  and  fair  to  all  classes.  The 
existing  civilization  is  tottering  to  its  fall  because  it  is 
founded  on  extreme  class-  and  sex-consciousness.  If 
the  women  voters  from  now  on  fail  to  insist  on  better 
economic  and  social  protection  for  themselves  and  their 
children,  they  can  no  longer  blame  “  male-made  laws  ” 
for  the  deplorable  social  conditions. 

Woman  in  the  Apostolic  Church. — Paul  in  Galatians 
3:  28,  proclaims  Christianity’s  declaration  of  woman’s 


152 


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independence  and  equality.  The  importance  of  such 
a  declaration  in  those  ages  we  can  hardly  estimate  at 
its  full  value  in  our  day  of  woman’s  emancipation.  As 
wife,  woman  is  entitled  to  the  highest  that  man  can 
give — his  love  (Eph.  5:  25-33;  Col.  3:19).  The 
honourable  mention  of  so  many  women  in  Paul’s  let¬ 
ters  suggests  his  high  evaluation  of  their  personal 
friendship  as  well  as  their  work  for  the  kingdom.  The 
seeming  harshness  and  narrowness  of  Paul’s  strictness 
against  women  in  some  of  his  letters  are  due  to  local 
conditions,  especially  to  the  extreme  and  bold  assertion 
by  some  women  of  their  newly  acquired  rights.  In¬ 
junctions  like  1  Corinthians  14:  35  must  often  be 
reversed  in  our  days,  for  as  one  has  truly  remarked: 
“  Just  think  of  shutting  up  a  woman  to  such  a  source 
of  information  as  that  often  is!  ” 

Literature : 

Stall,  “  What  a  Young  Girl  Ought  to  Know,”  and,  “  What  a 
Young  Woman  Ought  to  Know.” 

Lowry’s  books  on  “  Truths,”  “  Confidences,”  “  Himself,”  “  Her¬ 
self,”  “  False  Modesty.” 

III.  The  Child 

Parallel  Readings: 

Good  books  to  put  into  the  hands  of  young  parents  are  the 
following : 

Forbush,  “  Child  Study  and  Child  Training.” 

Dawson,  “  The  Child  and  His  Religion.” 

Moxcey,  “  Girlhood  and  Character.” 

Hartshore,  “  Boyhood  and  Character.” 

Baker,  Edna  Dean,  “  Parenthood  and  Child  Nurture.” 

Grinnel,  “  How  John  and  I  Brought  up  the  Child.” 

Eofthouse,  “  Ethics  and  the  Family.” 

Jewett,  “  The  Next  Generation.” 

Vedder,  “The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democ¬ 
racy,”  10&-147. 

Gardner,  “The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Progress,”  307-332. 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  FAMILY 


163 


Speer,  R.,  “  Principles  of  Jesus,”  88. 

Henderson,  “  Social  Duties,”  77-93. 

Key,  E.,  “  The  Century  of  the  Child.” 

Drury,  Samuel  S.,  “  The  Thoughts  of  Youth.”" 

Chapin,  Henry  Dwight,  “  Heredity  and  Child  Culture.” 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Prayers  of  the  Social  Awakening,”  51,  53. 

Jamison,  A.  T.,  “Your  Boy  and  Girl.” 

Kirtley,  J.  S.,  “  That  Boy  of  Yours.” 

Kirkpatrick,  “  Fundamentals  of  Child  Training.” 

Slattery,  M.,  “  The  American  Girl  and  her  Community.” 

Dickinson,  G.  A.,  “Your  Boy!  ” 

Mangold,  G.,  “  Child  Problems.” 

Forbush,  “  The  Boy  Problem.” 

“  Cry  of  Justice,”  637,  640,  647,  655. 

Weigle,  L.  A.,  “The  Training  of  Children  in  the  Christian 
Family.” 

Royden,  A.  M.,  “  Sex  and  Common  Sense.” 

Moxcey  and  Ward,  “  Parents  and  their  Children.” 

Historical  Background 

Ancient  civilization  considered  the  child  only  in  rela¬ 
tion  to  the  family,  tribe  or  state  and  had  little  concep¬ 
tion  of  his  value  in  himself  as  a  personality  and  an 
individual.  When  therefore  the  child  was  deficient  in 
body  or  mind  (especially  if  it  was  a  girl)  death  by  ex¬ 
posure  or  other  means  was  permitted.  But  the 
“  patria  potestas  ”  extended  over  all  his  offspring  and 
was  well-nigh  supreme.  Among  the  Roman  aristo¬ 
cratic  women  children  were  unwelcome  and  abortion 
was  common  and  remained  unpunished.  The  Jews 
had  a  higher  respect  for  children. 

1.  Christ’s  Attitude  toward  the  Child .  (1)  Like  all 
normal  men,  Christ  loved  the  children  and  was 
delighted  to  have  them  near  Him  (Matt.  19:  14). 
(2)  Jesus  considered  the  child’s  soul  as  of  great  value 
in  itself,  and  not  only  in  so  far  as  it  benefited  society, 
business  and  the  state.  The  child  is  a  full,  though  un- 


154 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


developed  personality  and  therefore  of  more  value  than 
things  (Matt.  19:  13-15).  (3)  He  regarded  the  child 

nature  as  a  fitting  type  of  true  discipleship,  because  of 
its  qualities  of  love,  trust,  humility,  and  candour  (Matt. 
18:  3-6).  Paul’s  declaration  in  1  Corinthians  7:  14 
that  children  of  believing  parents  are  “  holy  ”  may  im¬ 
ply  the  ancient  conception  of  group  religion. 

Question:  Do  Mark  io:  14  and  Matthew  18:3  imply  that  young 
children  are  free  from  original  sin? 

2.  The  Rights  of  Children.  (1)  The  right  to  be 
born.  “  Birth-control  ”  is  practiced  in  circles  where 
there  is  the  least  excuse,  namely,  among  the  educated 
and  well-to-do  classes.  It  would  appear  that  the 
physically,  financially  and  morally  fit  men  and  women 
seem  most  inclined  to  shirk  the  responsibility  of  chil¬ 
dren.  (See  Vollmer,  “The  Reformation  a  Liberating 
Force/’  59-66.)  (2)  The  right  to  be  well  bred that  is, 

educated  and  trained  for  business,  as  well  as  in  religion, 
morality  and  good  manners.  The  child  should  be 
taught  politeness,  consideration  for  the  feelings  of 
others,  self-control  and  everything  that  goes  toward 
making  up  gentlemanliness  and  ladylikeness.  Nor  is 
it  enough  that  it  should  be  so  taught  by  precept ;  exam¬ 
ple  is  indispensable.  Parents  cannot  be  too  careful  as 
to  how  they  conduct  themselves  in  the  presence  of  their 
children.  Children,  as  a  rule,  are  nothing,  if  not  imi¬ 
tative.  Every  mother  should  see  to  it  that  in  her 
great  love  for  her  children  she  does  not  allow  them 
to  become  helpless,  selfish,  shorn  of  all  responsibility. 
It  is  just  as  unwise  to  do  too  much  for  a  child  as  too 
little,  and  the  mother  who  has  shielded  her  child  from 
every  hardship  sends  it  out  into  the  world  with  a  poor 
preparation  to  meet  the  vicissitudes  of  life.  (3)  The 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  FAMILY 


155 


right  to  be  protected  from  physical,  mental,  moral  and 
religious  corruption  (Matt.  18:  6);  in  the  home,  the 
school,  at  amusements,  on  the  streets,  by  social  cus¬ 
toms  and  in  factories.  The  sins  against  the  child  are 
truly  “  heaven-crying,”  especially  in  industrial  coun¬ 
tries.  Modern  Herods  are  killing  them  by  the  millions 
through  child  labour,  undernourishment,  repression  of 
the  play  instinct,  etc.  (Vedder,  “  The  Gospel  and  the 
Problems  of  Democracy,”  108).  (4)  The  new  Youth 

Movement  in  Europe  demands  the  right  of  self-deter¬ 
mination  in  some  effective  form  respecting  the  “  su¬ 
preme  sacrifice  ”  in  war.  It  is  considered  unsafe  to 
let  old  men  (and  the  real  “  war-makers”  are  usually 
very  old),  make  the  final  decision  whether  millions  of 
young  men  should  die  or  be  maimed  on  the  battlefield 
and  millions  of  young  women  should  become  widows 
or  remain  unmarried.  They  demand  to  know  the  true 
reasons  for  war. 

Question:  How  would  you  as  a  parent  seek  to  make  clear  to 
your  child  the  fact  of  sex?  (Richardson,  “Sex  Culture  Talk 
with  Young  Men”). 

3.  The  Duties  of  Children .  The  New  Testament 
contains  general  implications  as  well  as  definite  precepts 
on  this  subject  in  Mark  7 :  6-13;  Ephesians  6:  4;  Co- 
lossians  3:20,21;  James  1:26,  27.  (1)  Eove  and 

obedience  toward  parents.  The  average  American  fam¬ 
ily  is  dominated  by  the  children.  This  is  bad  for  them 
and  for  everybody  else.  It  makes  them  intolerant,  self¬ 
ish  and  disagreeable.  And  it  reduces  their  parents  to 
a  state  of  peonage.  (2)  Respect  for  the  older  genera¬ 
tion ,  including  pastors,  teachers  and  leaders  in  business 
and  political  life.  Common  sense  and  experience 
should  teach  the  rising  generation  not  to  disdain  the 


156 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


advice  of  parents,  teachers  and  maturer  friends.  The 
overestimate  of  youth  is  a  phase  of  weakness.  The 
impression  you  get  from  the  average  novel  is  that  the 
interesting  part  of  life  is  over  when  the  young  people 
are  married.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  best  part  of  life 
ought  to  be  after  fifty.  In  the  work  for  world  prog¬ 
ress  the  vigour,  courage  and  enthusiasm  of  youth  are 
indispensable;  but  when  Church  or  State,  industry  or 
business,  law  or  medicine  need  leadership,  experience 
and  well-balanced  judgment,  middle-aged  and  old  peo¬ 
ple  are  still  in  demand.  (3)  Cultivation  of  enthusiasm 
and  efficiency.  “  Fogyism  ”  is  not  a  matter  of  age  and 
is  too  often  found  among  the  younger  generation,  while 
the  maturer  minds  are  largely  the  leaders  of  safe  and 
sound  progress. 

IV.  The  Aged  in  the  Family 

As  to  the  relation  between  the  older  and  the  younger 
generations  we  have  one  extreme  in  paganism  and 
Judaism,  and  the  opposite  extreme  in  modern  society. 
The  happy  mean  is  indicated  in  the  New  Testament 
and  is  found  in  families  of  Christian  culture  (Mark  7 : 
6-13;  Eph.  6:4;  Col.  3:20,21).  (1)  Grandparents 
have  a  right  to  look  for  a  reasonable  respect  from  .chil¬ 
dren  and  grandchildren.  The  coarse  flinging  at  them 
of  epithets  like  “  old  fogies  ”  should  not  be  found  on 
the  tongues  of  well-bred  children.  (2)  If  in  need,  they 
should  be  supported  in  some  comfortable  way.  Neg¬ 
lect  of  the  older  generation  is  a  prodigious  wrong  and 
a  sign  of  inferior  civilization.  (3)  The  old  people 
should  return  love  for  love  by  endearing  themselves  to 
children  and  grandchildren  by  patience  and  reticence, 
always  remembering  that  wisdom  will  not  die  with 
them.  (4)  The  problem  of  the  wider  circle  of  direct 


MEMBEES  OF  THE  FAMILY 


157 


and  indirect  relatives  must  be  solved  by  the  applica¬ 
tion  of  the  “  kingdom  principles.” 

V.  The  Domestic  Servant  Problem 

According  to  Christ’s  teaching,  life  as  a  whole  should 
be  considered  from  the  view-point  of  service.  And 
service  in  any  form  is  honourable  in  the  sight  of  Jesus, 
while  idleness  is  despicable  (Matt.  20:  27,  28 ;  John  13: 
1-20).  In  Philemon,  in  Colossians  3:  11,  and  Gala¬ 
tians  3:  26,  Paul  implies  clearly  that  the  Gospel  had  al¬ 
ready  abrogated  the  principle  underlying  slavery  and 
that  its  abolition  was  only  a  question  of  time  and  of 
faithful  realization  of  the  “  kingdom  principles  ”  on 
the  part  of  the  Church.  Until  then  the  slaves  should 
be  content  and  obey,  knowing  that  they  as  Christians 
enjoyed  real  liberty  (1  Cor.  7:  17-22;  Col.  3:  22,  23; 
Eph.  6;  8;  1  Peter  2:  18-23).  Solemn  warnings  are 
addressed  to  the  masters  in  Ephesians  6:  9. 

The  difficulties  experienced  in  securing  reliable 
domestic  help  at  reasonable  compensation  are  due 
partly  to  the  stigma  placed  on  this  kind  of  service,  as 
well  as  to  the  long  and  irregular  hours,  to  unreason¬ 
able  treatment  and  especially  to  the  competition  of  in¬ 
dustry. 

VI.  Family  Life  as  a  Whole 

Parallel  Readings : 

Alexander,  “  Ethics  of  Paul,”  284-305. 

Vedder,  “  Socialism  and  the  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  406. 

Speer,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  80. 

Henderson,  “  Social  Duties,”  22-76. 

Richmond,  W.,  “  Social  Diagnosis.” 

Poems:  Harbaugh,  “Heemweh”;  “O  Happy  Home”  (Spitta)  ; 
Bryant,  “New  Library  of  Poetry,”  I,  222,  225,  229,  238;  “Cry 
of  Justice,”  500;  Schiller,  “Lied  von  der  Glocke;  Die  Wiirde  der 
Frauen.” 


158 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Summing  up  the  discussion  on  this  all-important 
subject  of  family  life,  we  raise  the  question  as  to  which 
are  the  true  friends  and  which  are  the  foes  of  the 
Christian  home? 

Friends  of  the  Home.  (1)  First  of  all  the  Lord 
Jesus  and  the  three  laws  of  His  kingdom  which  are  to 
be  perpetually  kept  alive  at  the  “  family  altar  ”  (John 
2:  1-11).  (2)  The  spirit  of  union  and  “  family  soli¬ 

darity.”  Formerly  this  was  overstressed,  and  now  it 
is  in  danger  of  decaying  altogether.  Each  member 
must  keep  in  mind  that  his  individual  conduct  exerts 
a  decisive  effect  upon  the  family  as  a  whole  and  on  the 
other  members  individually,  either  favourably  or  unfa¬ 
vourably.  H.  G.  Wells  in  “  The  Soul  of  a  Bishop  ” 
makes  the  Bishop  say  to  his  frivolous  daughter:  “A 
man  in  my  position  is  apt  to  be  judged  by  his  family. 
You  commit  more  than  yourself  when  you  commit  an 
indiscretion.”  (3)  Neighbourliness.  Family  unity 
must  not  degenerate  into  family  selfishness.  Christ  on 
several  occasions  gently  and  kindly  rebuked  His  own 
mother  for  this  (Mark  3:  23-35;  Luke  14:  26).  (4) 

Innumerable  little  details ,  little  deeds  of  kindness  and 
little  words  of  love,  contribute  to  make  a  home  happy, 
such  as,  e.  g.,  owning  a  home,  comfortable  furniture, 
good  pictures,  artistic  arrangements  in  the  rooms,  flow¬ 
ers,  palatable  cooking  and  tasteful  serving,  cleanliness, 
music,  good  literature,  stated  “  family  evenings,” 
harmless  games  and  parties,  etc. 

Foes  of  the  American  Home.  (1)  Xrreligion;  (2) 
Loose  conceptions  of  friendship  between  the  sexes,  of 
courtship,  and  of  marriage;  (3)  Easy  divorce  laws  in 
most  of  the  states  and  loose  administration  of  the 
stricter  divorce  laws.  (4)  Economic  conditions  com¬ 
pelling  the  postponement  of  marriage  or  taking  the 


MEMBERS  OP  THE  FAMILY 


159 


wife  from  the  home  (Peabody,  “  Jesus  Christ  and  the 
Social  Question,”  161-182).  (5)  Frivolous  customs 

at  social  functions,  on  vacations,  travel,  etc.  (Peabody, 
129-182).  (6)  Modern  ideas  of  woman  emancipa¬ 

tion  discouraging  marriage  and  motherhood  (Peabody, 
141-142).  (7)  Bad  literature  and  a  degraded  stage 

(Peabody,  144).  (8)  The  tenement,  apartment, 

rooming  and  boarding  house  life.  (9)  Professional 
prostitution.  It  is  estimated  that  there  are  about 
500,000  women  and  girls  in  this  country  who  are  pub¬ 
lic  prostitutes  and  about  1,000,000  kept  mistresses,  also 
that  about  6,000  additional  women  and  girls  become 
public  prostitutes  annually  (Kaufman,  R.  W.,  “  The 
House  of  Bondage”).  (10)  Mixed  marriages.  A 
fruitful  source  of  social  degeneracy  and  unhappiness 
are  the  marriages  with  irreligious  partners  or  such  as 
practice  an  intolerant  religion. 

While  recognizing  that  there  are  great  dangers  to 
the  American  home,  the  facts  seem  to  justify  a  distinct 
note  of  optimism  regarding  this  priceless  treasure. 
Millions  of  American  homes  of  to-day  represent  the 
highest  type  of  family  association  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  Its  mass  influence  is  tremendous,  always  oper¬ 
ative  for  good.  This  influence  is  reflected  in  the 
churches,  the  schools,  the  universities,  in  the  quality 
and  character  of  our  amusements,  in  the  clean  liberty 
of  association,  in  the  ever-increasing  moral  tone  in 
business  and  social  relations.  Regarding  this  pointy 
as  in  other  respects,  the  “good”  times  are  not  the 
“  old  ”  times. 


PART  V 


The  Kingdom  and  Our 
Political  Institutions 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  LOCAL  COMMUNITY 

Parallel  Readings: 

Fassett,  Charles,  “  Handbook  of  Municipal  Government.” 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principle  of  Living,”  133-135. 

Speer,  R.,  “  Principles  of  Jesus,”  222. 

Henderson,  “  Social  Duties,”  1 15-137  and  189-222. 

Earp,  E.  L-,  “  Rural  Social  Organizations.” 

Steffens,  L.,  “  The  Shame  of  the  Cities.” 

Groves,  Ernest  R.,  “  The  Rural  Mind  and  Social  Welfare.” 
Wilson,  W.  H.,  “  The  Evolution  of  a  Country  Community.” 
Vedder,  “Gospel  of  Jesus,”  148-189  (Slums). 

Vogt,  P.  L.,  “  Church  Cooperation  in  the  Community  Life.” 
Ward,  Edwards,  “  Christianizing  Community  Life.” 

Fishe,  O.  W.,  “  Community  Forces  for  Religious  Education.” 
Douglas,  H.  P.,  “From  Survey  to  Service.” 

Holden,  Arthur,  “  The  Settlement  Idea.” 

Capes,  Wm.  Parr,  “  The  Modern  City  and  Its  Government.” 
Devine,  E.  T.,  “  Social  Work.” 

Gill  and  Pinchat,  “  The  Country  Club.” 

Fishe,  O.  W.,  “  The  Challenge  of  the  Country.” 

Howe,  “  European  Cities  at  Work.” 

Riis,  J.,  “  The  Battle  with  the  Slums.” 

Wilcot,  D.,  “  Municipal  Franchise.” 

“  Cry  of  Justice,”  853. 

Bliss,  “  New  Encyclopaedia  of  Social  Reform,”  788,  813,  1001, 
1017. 

The  social  groups  following  the  family  in  order  of 
time,  importance,  power  and  size  are  the  various  politic 

1 61 


162 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


cal  organizations,  such  as  the  local  community,  the  state 
and  international  relations.  All  these  are  in  an  acutely 
unsaved  condition  and  therefore  in  dire  need  of  Chris¬ 
tianizing.  We  begin  with  the  local  community,  which 
may  be  defined  as  “  the  place  where  we  live.” 

1.  Christ’s  local  patriotism.  Jesus  showed  special 
interest  in  His  home  town  as  well  as  in  the  city  of  His 
residence  during  His  public  ministry  and  in  the  capital 
of  His  nation,  and  made  special  efforts  to  save  them 
(Luke  4:16-30;  19:41;  Matt.  23:37).  Paul  also 
seems  to  have  been  very  proud  of  his  native  town  and 
especially  interested  in  its  salvation  (Acts  21:39; 
9:  30;  11:  25).  Every  Christian  should  follow  these 
examples  of  local  patriotism. 

2.  What  people  should  know  about  their  own  com¬ 
munity.  In  order  to  work  intelligently  for  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  their  home  community,  Christians  should  strive 
to  acquire  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  real  condi¬ 
tions  of  the  place.  They  should  know  something  about 
the  character  of  the  population,  native  and  foreign, 
whether  composed  of  harmonious  or  incompatible  ele¬ 
ments;  about  industries,  hours  and  condition  of 
employment,  wages,  occupational  accidents  and 
diseases,  child  and  women  labour;  about  living  condi¬ 
tions,  recreation,  parks,  playgrounds,  dance  halls, 
theatres,  moving  picture  shows;  about  transportation, 
adequate  facilities  and  rate  of  fares;  about  public  utili¬ 
ties,  gas,  telephone,  telegraph,  electricity,  express  com¬ 
pany;  about  public  health,  prevalent  and  preventable 
diseases,  hospitals,  physicians,  board  of  health;  about 
education,  conditions  of  schools,  spirit  of  teaching, 
character  of  teachers,  vocational  training,  continuation 
courses,  night  school ;  about  civic  administration, 
whether  competent  or  corrupt;  about  vice,  crime,  in- 


THE  LOCAL  COMMUNITY 


183 


temperance,  houses  of  ill  fame,  white  slave  traffic, 
prisons,  saloons ;  about  moral  and  religious  forces  out¬ 
side  of  the  Church,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  reform  clubs;  about 
the  newspapers,  by  whom  controlled  and  in  what  spirit 
edited.  This  seems  a  formidable  list,  but  acquaintance 
with  these  facts  requires  little  if  any  extra  time;  an 
open  eye,  an  alert  mind,  a  sympathetic  heart  while 
we  go  about  our  usual  occupation  is  as  a  rule  all  that 
is  necessary  for  a  minister  and  other  leading  men  to 
give  them  all  the  information  necessary  to  one  who  de¬ 
sires  to  do  good  to  all  men.  Without  a  reliable  basis 
of  facts  many  of  our  best  intentions  will  fail,  for 
education  must  precede  and  accompany  all  lasting  re¬ 
forms. 

3.  Some  community  affairs  that  need  special  and 
constant  watching.  (1)  The  local  political  administra¬ 
tion.  America  differs  from  other  countries  in  that  pri¬ 
vate  citizens,  either  singly  or  organized  into  law  and 
order  leagues,  must  constantly  exert  pressure  upon 
the  officers  of  the  community  to  do  the  very  things  for 
which  they  have  been  elected  and  are  being  paid  for. 
One  way  to  secure  decent  local  government  would 
therefore  be  to  induce  high  standing  business  and  pro¬ 
fessional  men  to  take  office,  so  that  the  community  may 
be  weaned  away  from  the  “  professional  ”  politician, 
the  “  machine,”  the  Tammany  Hall  system  and  similar 
obstructions  to  good  government.  (2)  The  places  and 
surroundings  for  social  gatherings  and  the  character 
of  the  various  amusements  for  young  and  old.  (3) 
The  houses  of  ill  fame.  To  assist  in  cleaning  out  these 
cesspools  of  iniquity  should  be  regarded  by  the  good 
women  of  every  community  as  their  special  privilege, 
and  it  is  a  serious  reflection  especially  on  every  church 
woman  when  these  moral  pest  holes  are  permitted  to 


164 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


carry  on  their  business  almost  unmolested.  (4)  All 
influences  and  agencies  encouraging  class-hatred  based 
on  religion,  colour,  nationality  and  language.  Said  a 
Texas  editor  recently:  “  This  town  was  built  up  on 
tolerance,  good-feeling  and  respect  of  one  another. 
Don’t  tear  it  down  by  intolerance  and  religious 
bigotry.” 

4.  Methods  for  improving  community  conditions. 

(1)  When  attacking  evil  be  sure  of  your  facts,  and 
use  moderate  language,  evincing  a  spirit  of  fairness. 

(2)  A  successful  method  for  investigating  conditions 
and  for  spreading  the  information  among  interested 
circles  of  people  is  for  Sunday-school  classes,  literary 
clubs,  brotherhoods  and  similar  organizations  to  dis¬ 
cuss  from  time  to  time  the  political,  social,  moral  and 
industrial  conditions  of  their  respective  home  com¬ 
munity,  bringing  out  the  facts,  (a)  as  to  what  extent 
the  local  government,  the  housing  conditions,  the 
amusements,  Sabbath  observance,  labour  organizations, 
churches,  schools,  libraries,  stores,  banks,  public  utili¬ 
ties,  the  newspapers,  the  playgrounds,  etc.,  are  in  a 
saved  condition,  that  is,  are  controlled  by  love,  right¬ 
eousness,  purity  and  honesty;  ( b )  as  to  what  extent 
some  of  these  features  of  community  life  are  in  an 
unsaved  condition,  that  is,  controlled  by  selfishness, 
greed,  commercialism,  profiteering,  coarseness,  impur¬ 
ity  and  corruption;  (c)  if  anything,  and  what,  is  being 
done  to  save  that  which  is  lost;  (d)  whether  God’s 
prophets  (the  churches)  are  faithful  in  calling  any  un¬ 
saved  groups  to  repentance  or  whether  they  are  Jonases 
refusing  to  do  their  duty;  (e)  in  many  cases  mere  pub¬ 
licity  is  sufficient  to  have  wrongs  righted,  for  people 
are  usually  very  sensitive  to  public  opinion.  (See 
Lippman,  “  Public  Opinion.”) 


THE  LOCAL  COMMUNITY 


165 


5.  Much  of  the  reform  work  may  be  done  in  close 
cooperation  with  other  denominations ,  or  with  the 
Federation  of  Churches,  or  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W. 
C.  A.,  or  with  local  welfare  departments  and  even  with 
labour  and  farmer’s  organizations.  Especially  should  a 
close  cooperation  between  the  home,  the  school  and  the 
church  be  maintained.  Reforms  to  be  effective  must 
proceed  along  positive  as  well  as  negative  lines ,  i.  e., 
destroying  evil  and  building  up  the  good.  These  are 
not  always  two  independent  and  successive  processes, 
but  go  hand  in  hand,  just  as  in  nature.  We  empty  the 
air  out  of  a  glass  by  the  very  act  of  pouring  water  into 
it.  Sin  can  best  be  driven  out  of  individuals  and 
groups  by  putting  something  better  in  its  place.  Many 
of  the  evils  in  our  community  life  would  vanish  with¬ 
out  special  efforts  if  a  healthier  spiritual  life,  better 
institutions,  purer  amusements  and  nobler  customs 
were  fostered.  A  large  amount  of  social  service  done 
by  the  churches  and  individuals  belongs  really  to  the 
duties  of  the  civil  government  and  the  best  service 
rendered  in  such  cases  is  to  urge  the  authorities  to  tend 
to  their  business.  In  this  way  the  churches  will  be 
enabled  to  use  their  funds  for  objects  more  specifically 
Christian. 

6.  The  reward  of  the  reformer.  Reformers  are 
usually  criticized  for  exposing  wrong,  because,  as  their 
opponents  say,  “  it  hurts  business,  keeps  people  away 
from  the  town  and  thus  is  unpatriotic.”  You  must 
“  boost  ”  your  home  town  and  exalt  your  own  coun¬ 
try  to  the  skies.  How  short-sighted !  The  very  fact 
that  efforts  are  being  made  to  “  clean  up  ”  a  city  and 
keep  it  clean  invites  confidence.  “  Corrupt  and  Con¬ 
tented  ”  is  a  poor  recommendation  for  any  city.  And 
as  to  patriotism,  we  fully  agree  with  the  motto:  “  My 


166  NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 

] 

country,  right  or  wrong,”  if  interpreted  in  this  way: 
“  When  right,  keep  it  right ;  when  wrong,  set  it  right.” 
This  is  the  way  America’s  greatest  sons  and  daughters, 
like  Washington,  Jefferson,  Lincoln,  Sumner,  Garri¬ 
son,  Beecher  and  Mrs,  Stowe,  Carl  Schurz,  etc.,  have 
always  acted. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


THE  STATE  AND  ITS  GOVERNMENT 

Parallel  Readings: 

Gardner,  “The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Progress,”  333-356. 
Vedder,  “  Socialism  and  the  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  426-434. 

Speer,  R.,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  40,  114. 

Howe,  “  Privilege  and  Democracy  in  America.” 

Beard,  Charles,  “  The  Economic  Basis  of  Politics.” 

Abbott,  E-,  “  Christianity  and  Social  Problems,”  27-65. 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Eiving,”  chap.  9. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  252-266. 
Cooley,  “  Social  Organizations,”  284-309. 

Follett,  “The  New  State,”  227-330. 

Henderson,  “  Social  Duties,”  277-299. 

Stalker,  “Ethics  of  Jesus,”  chap.  16. 

Shepheard,  Harold  B.,  “  Jesus  and  Politics.” 

Weyl,  W.  Z.,  “The  New  Democracy.” 

Russell,  B.,  “  Political  Ideals,”  3-38,  103-144. 

Wilson,  Woodrow,  “The  New  Freedom.” 

Noxon,  T.,  “Are  We  Capable  of  Self-Government?” 
Mathews,  S.,  “  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  chap.  5. 
Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  123-127 
and  149-155. 

Homiletic  Review,  No.  3,  1922:  “Is  God  a  Democratic  God?” 
V ollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Reformation  a  Eiberating  Force,”  53, 
71- 

“  Cry  of  Justice,”  189,  815. 

Colegrove,  Kenneth,  “American  Citizens  and  Their  Govern¬ 
ment.” 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  18. 

The  next  largest  social  group  to  the  local  community 
within  which  Christ’s  ideals  are  to  be  realized  is  the 

167 


168 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


state,  which  may  be  defined  as  society  organized  for 
the  purpose  of  mutual  protection  and  development  in 
all  spheres  of  physical,  intellectual,  moral  and  religious 
activity. 


I.  Christ's  Political  Principles 

1.  Historical  Background.  Jesus  lived  under  a 
threefold  government; — the  Roman  Empire,  the 
ITerodian  vassal  kings  and  the  Jewish  Sanhedrin 
(Vollmer,  “  The  Modern  Student’s  Life  of  Christ,” 
8-18). 

2.  Method  of  Christ's  Political  Teaching.  (1) 
Direct  teaching  on  political  affairs  is  scarce  in  the 
Gospels.  Either  Christ  did  not  say  much  on  these  ex¬ 
plosive  subjects,  or  His  teaching  was  purposely  omitted 
from  the  records  for  fear  of  Jews  and  Romans,  or 
some  of  it  may  be  concealed  from  our  eyes  by  tradi¬ 
tional  interpretation.  (2)  Christ’s  political  principles 
must  therefore  be  inferred  ( a )  from  His  practice,  dis¬ 
couraging  bloody  revolutions;  ( b )  from  casual  state¬ 
ments,  such  as  Matthew  22:  21;  (c)  from  illustrations 
of  political  institutions  and  customs;  but  ( d )  most 
clearly  from  the  great  principles  of  the  kingdom  con¬ 
stantly  stressed  by  Jesus. 

3.  Details  of  Christ's  Political  Teaching.  From 
the  material  indicated  we  may  infer  the  following  as 
to  Christ’s  political  ideas.  (1)  He  considered  it  a 
duty  to  keep  informed  on  political  affairs,  as  the  back¬ 
ground  of  His  teaching  shows  (Luke  13:  1-5 ;  19:  14). 
Wrongs  are  perpetuated  partly  because  even  the  edu¬ 
cated  classes  are  so  poorly  informed  as  to  actual  con¬ 
ditions.  (2)  Christ  approved  of  the  principle  of 
coercive  government ,  as  appears  from  His  usual  recog¬ 
nition  of  the  threefold  government  in  Palestine,  espe- 


THE  STATE  AND  ITS  GOYEENMENT  169 


dally  at  His  trial,  as  well  as  by  declarations  like  those 
in  Matthew  22:21;  Matthew  23:  1-3;  John  19:  11. 
The  scarcity  of  teaching  on  government  and  Jesus’  in¬ 
sistence  on  the  supremacy  of  love  does  not  imply  that 
He  was  a  “  philosophical  anarchist,”  who,  as  some 
suppose,  showed  His  opposition  to  the  state  as  a 
worthless  institution  by  practicing  “  direct  action  ” 
(John  2:  13-22 ;  Mark  11:  15),  refusing  to  answer  His 
judges  and  teaching  non-resistance  (S.  Mathews, 
“Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  123-128).  There  is  a 
better  explanation  of  Christ’s  behaviour  on  these  occa¬ 
sions.  The  actual  government  in  Christ’s  time  was  an 
oppressive  despotism  and  deserved  little  respect;  the 
silence  at  His  trial  was  a  rebuke  against  the  illegal 
treatment  accorded  to  Him;  the  “  direct  actions  ”  were 
isolated  cases  of  summarily  righting  a  wrong.  Order 
is  heaven’s  first  law  and  Christ’s  ideals  of  the  kingdom 
can  only  be  realized  in  an  atmosphere  of  law  and 
order.  (3)  The  element  of  truth  in  the  grotesque  sup¬ 
position  that  Christ  was  against  government  by  law  is 
the  evident  fact  contained  in  the  principles  of  God’s 
kingdom  that  the  goal  of  all  progress  in  civilization 
must  be  the  gradual  elimination  of  coercion.  Each 
person,  out  of  the  goodness  of  his  heart,  should  learn 
to  treat  others  in  accordance  with  the  Golden  Rule. 
But  the  world  is  not  yet  ready  for  a  mere  gentleman’s 
agreement,  first,  because  we  haven’t  enough  gentle¬ 
men;  second,  because  they  don’t  agree.  But  some 
day,  the  Bible  predicts,  it  won’t  be  necessary  to  tell 
people  not  to  murder,  steal,  take  drugs,  cheat  or  get 
drunk.  It’s  a  long  way  off,  but  it’s  coming,  and  the 
beginning  of  real  civilization  will  come  with  it.  Con¬ 
stant  and  long  continued  practice  of  the  Golden  Rule 
by  individuals  and  groups  will  tend  to  make  of  “  gov- 


170 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


ernment  ”  practically  a  mere  leadership  in  service,  a 
principle  which  is  already  actually  at  work  in  many 
families  and  schools,  in  voluntary  organizations  of  all 
kinds  and  especially  in  church  government.  The  con¬ 
ception  of  the  state  chiefly  as  a  coercive  institution  is 
fast  losing  ground.  (4)  No  definite  form  of  govern¬ 
ment  is  prescribed  in  the  New  Testament;  but  Christ’s 
conception  of  God  as  a  Father,  of  men  as  brothers,  of 
government  as  service  (Mark  10:  42-44),  of  the  value 
of  personality,  the  three  laws  of  the  kingdom,  His 
disapproval  of  class  distinction  and  His  love  for  the 
plain  people — all  these  considerations  would  naturally 
lead  one  to  suppose  that  He  favoured  some  sort  of  a 
“  theo-democracy,”  i.  e.,  a  government  theocratic  in 
spirit  and  principles  and  democratic  as  to  officials,  laws 
and  institutions. 

Note  I.  Two  misconceptions  of  “  democracy  ’*  must  be 
avoided:  (i)  by  democracy  we  do  not  merely  mean  good  gov¬ 
ernment,  but  ^//-government  of,  by  and  for  the  people.  Autoc¬ 
racy  and  aristocracy  have  often  given  their  people  better 
government  than  democracies.  (2)  Neither  do  we  mean  by 
“democracy”  merely  popular  government,  but  free  government, 
that  is,  an  administration  of  public  affairs  which  guarantees  free¬ 
dom  of  conscience  and  of  speech,  protecting  the  minority  against 
the  majority  and  the  mob.  “Eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of 
liberty.”  During  and  after  periods  of  great  upheavals,  mobs, 
reactionaries,  small  politicians,  extreme  radicals,  and  fanatics, 
attempt  to  abstract  the  vital  substance  from  our  democracy, 
leaving  us  only  the  shell.  “  Caveant  consules !  ” 

Note  2.  There  are  at  present  three  types  of  free  government, 
with  many  varieties  as  to  details:  (1)  the  parliamentary  system, 
under  which  a  committee  composed  of  the  leaders  of  the  party 
in  power,  called  the  cabinet,  headed  by  a  Prime  Minister,  controls 
all  branches  of  the  government.  The  tenure  of  office  depends  on 
the  vote  of  Parliament.  (2)  The  congressional  form,  composed 
of  three  coordinate  and  independent  branches  of  government,  with 
fixed  terms  of  office.  (3)  The  Soviet  form  is  based  on  the  votes 


THE  STATE  AND  ITS  GOVERNMENT  171 


of  those  only  who  are  doing  useful  manual  or  mental  service  and 
it  stresses  occupational  instead  of  territorial  representation. 

Question: 

How  can  you  prove  that  Jesus  was  a  champion  of  democracy? 
(Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  living,”  145). 

II.  Rights  and  Duties  of  Rulers  and  People 

1.  Duties  of  Rulers.  (1)  To  serve  the  people,  not 

to  lord  it  over  them  (Mark  10:  42-44) .  (2)  To  serve 

the  people f  and  not  themselves,  nor  special  interests. 
Recall  Lincoln’s  famous  definition  of  a  democratic  gov¬ 
ernment.  “  Public  office  is  a  public  trust  ”  and  should 
not  be  abused  for  self-  or  class-enrichment.  Matthew 
22:  21  suggests  that  the  burden  of  taxation  should  be 
distributed  with  fairness.  (3)  To  serve  the  people 
with  efficiency — a  very  weak  point  in  America.  (4) 
To  deal  frankly  and  sincerely  with  the  people.  “  Secret 
diplomacy,  even  if  carried  on  honestly,  is  an  insult  to 
the  intelligent  portion  of  a  free  people.  This  Machia¬ 
vellian  dark-lantern  system  of  conducting  a  nation’s 
most  important  affairs  is,  however,  dying  hard  ” 
(Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  258).  “  Open  diplomacy  ” 
receives  sufficient  lip  service,  but  as  yet  that  is  about 
all. 

2.  Duties  of  Citizens.  (1)  To  show  an  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  the  state  by  an  active  participation  in 
political  affairs,  as  our  Lord’s  example  and  the  general 
tenor  of  New  Testament  teaching  implies.  Mere 
criticism  is  unproductive.  Many  Christians  desire  to 
enjoy  the  benefits  of  good  government  but  do  very 
little  to  bring  it  about.  Indifference  to  political  duties 
implies  lack  of  true  religion.  (How  is  Phil.  3:  20  often 
misunderstood?)  (2)  Insist  on  good  moral  character 
in  office  bearers.  Christ’s  unwillingness  to  answer 


172 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


some  questions  at  His  trial  may  have  been  due  to  a 
sense  of  revulsion  at  the  low  moral  character  of  His 
judges.  Eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  getting  good 
men  into  office — good ,  not  only  efficient!  (3)  Cheer¬ 
ful  obedience  to  lawful  authority  (Matt.  23:2-3; 
Rom.  13:  1-7;  1  Pet.  2:  17).  The  Church  has  often 
shown  a  strong  tendency  to  form  a  state  within  the 
state  by  claiming  the  right  to  discharge  state  functions 
(1  Cor.  6:  1-11;  the  papacy,  the  Huguenots).  (4) 
Insistence  that  our  political  parties  become  more  re¬ 
sponsive  to  the  true  interests  of  the  great  bulk  of  the 
people.  How  are  so  many  transactions  injuring  the 
people  possible  in  legislative  bodies  supposedly  repre¬ 
sentative  of  “  the  people  ”?  Partly  because  “  the  peo¬ 
ple  ”  are  unorganized,  easily  deceived,  and  divided  by  a 
multiplicity  of  interests?  Arthur  Brisbane  writes: 
“  We  have  reached  a  stage  in  which  wealth  selects  sets 
of  candidates.  The  people,  with  no  other  choice,  elect 
one  set.  And  that  set  takes  its  orders  from  those  that 
originally  selected  it,  not  from  the  people  that  did  the 
voting.”  Every  country  needs  a  strong  progressive 
party,  as  a  check  on  reactionary  excess. 

3.  The  Rights  of  Free  Citizens.  (1)  All  those 
elementary  rights  inherent  in  human  nature,  some  of 
which  are  expressly  enumerated  in  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  in  our  Federal  and  State  constitutions 
and  in  the  “  Bill  of  Rights,”  contained  in  several  state 
constitutions,  such  as  free  speech,  liberty  of  conscience, 
etc.  Many  of  these  precious  gems  are  in  constant 
danger  of  being  “  defined  and  limited  ”  out  of  exist¬ 
ence.  (Enumerate  the  most  important  of  these  con¬ 
stitutionally  guaranteed  rights.)  (2)  The  right  of 
constructive  criticism  of  laws  and  officials  and  of  ex¬ 
posing  malefactors  in  high  places.  Vulnerable  officials 


THE  STATE  AND  ITS  GOVERNMENT  173 


are  very  sensitive  to  public  criticism.  (See  Lippman, 
“  Public  Opinion.”)  (3)  Opposition  to  any  encroach¬ 
ment  of  state  omnipotence  of  the  Roman  and  Hegelian 
type,  which  may  tend  to  minimize  the  value  of 
personality  and  individuality,  by  measuring  man’s 
value  according  to  his  importance  to  the  state  and 
society. 

III.  The  Duty  of  Patriotism 

Parallel  Readings: 

Tolstoi,  L.  N.,  “  Christianity  and  Patriotism.” 

Brooks,  C.  A.,  “  Christian  Americanization.” 

Bierstadt,  Edward  Hale,  “Aspects  of  Americanization.” 

Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  IX,  678. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Reformation  a  Riberating  Force,”  34, 
51,  64,  69,  73,  97-ii6. 

Gavit,  John  P.,  “  Americans  by  Choice.” 

Locke,  J.,  “  Treatise  on  Toleration.” 

Mills,  J.  $.,  “  Essay  on  Liberty.” 

“  Cry  of  Justice,”  593,  633;  Ref.  H.  No.  532,  587,  590  (Kipling’s 
“Recessional”),  598  (Harbaugh’s  “Litany”),  599. 

Stauffer,  Robert  E.,  “  The  American  Spirit  in  the  Writings  of 
Americans  of  Foreign  Birth.” 

Steiner,  “The  Trail  of  the  Immigrant.” 

Anton,  Mary,  “  The  Promised  Land.” 

McKenna,  “  Our  Brethren  of  the  Tenements  of  the  Ghetto.” 

Warne,  “  The  Slav  Invasion  and  the  Mine  Workers.” 

Strong,  J.,  “The  New  Era.” 

Shriver,  “  Immigrant  Forces.” 


The  foremost  of  a  good  citizen’s  duties  is  to  love 
his  country,  as  normal  human  nature  and  common 
sense  prompts  and  the  teaching  as  well  as  the  example 
of  Christ  implies. 

1.  Genuine  patriotism  is  therefore  one  of  the  no¬ 
blest  instincts,  manifesting  itself  in  pride  of  country,  its 
flag  and  its  history,  in  loyalty  to  its  highest  ideals  and 


174 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


in  activity  for  its  material  and  moral  welfare.  In  tlie 
words  of  Rev.  P.  E.  Swope,  “  A  one  hundred  per  cent. 
American  is  the  man  who  gives  an  honest  day’s  work 
for  a  day’s  wages,  who  lives  the  simple  life,  votes  in¬ 
telligently,  lives  a  clean  moral  life,  and  is  obedient  to 
the  laws  of  his  country  and  of  his  God.  And  just  as 
a  man  who  loves  his  wife  and  children  does  not  need  to 
proclaim  the  fact  from  the  housetop  for  every  passer¬ 
by  to  hear,  but  shows  his  love  by  the  service  he  renders 
them,  so  the  real  American  is  he  who  so  lives,  and  obeys 
the  laws  of  his  country,  that  a  noisy  profession  of  his 
patriotism  is  not  needed.”  Genuine  patriotism  does 
not  exclude  cosmopolitanism ,  or  internationalism,  as 
little  as  love  for  one’s  own  family  excludes  respect  for 
his  neighbour’s  welfare.  True  patriotism  is  promoted 
by  economic  prosperity  and  enjoyment  of  liberty. 
“  Ubi  bene,  ibi  patria.” 

2.  Counterfeit  patriotism  is  either  a  morbid  in¬ 
stinctive  passion  masquerading  under  this  sacred  name, 
or  a  shrewd,  calculating  piece  of  camouflage  for  gain¬ 
ing  material  advantages.  It  manifests  itself  in  vain¬ 
glorious  braggadocio  about  one’s  country’s  absolute 
superiority  to  all  other  nations;  in  hatred  or  fear  of 
other  peoples;  in  noisy  demonstrations  and  frenzied 
flag-idolatry;  in  animosity  against  fellow  Americans 
of  other  racial  descent  than  one’s  own ;  in  insistence  on 
the  correctness  of  one’s  own  definition  of  what  con¬ 
stitutes  patriotism,  branding  the  dissenter  as  a  traitor; 
in  mere  loyalty  to  party  and  its  chiefs,  sometimes 
actuated  by  corrupt  motives;  by  opposing  even  the  bet¬ 
ter  class  of  immigration. 

3.  “  Americanization  ”  is  the  term  for  the  various 
efforts  to  implant  patriotism  into  the  hearts  of  the 
newcomers  to  America.  There  are  two  ways  of  try- 


THE  STATE  AND  ITS  GOVERNMENT  175 


ing  to  make  Americans:  (1)  The  had  and  unsuccessful 
way ,  consisting,  (a)  in  a  haughty  assumption  of  su¬ 
periority,  usually  based  upon  ignorance  of  other  na¬ 
tions;  or  (b)  in  using  material  or  moral  force.  Any 
government  which  will  attempt  to  nationalize  its  peo¬ 
ple  of  various  racial  origins  by  forcible  or  arbitrary 
methods  will  ultimately  come  to  harm.  This  is  an  es¬ 
tablished  historical  fact.  Whenever  blind  nativism 
tried  to  use  these  methods  the  effect  has  been  to  chill 
the  love  for  America  in  millions  of  native  as  well  as 
foreign-bom  Americans  instead  of  rekindling  it;  or 
(c)  in  one  racial  element  posing  as  the  only  true  Amer¬ 
icans,  undervaluing  the  vast  contribution  of  other  races 
to  the  numerical,  material,  cultural  and  religious  de¬ 
velopment  of  odr  common  country;  or  ( d )  in  the  at¬ 
tempt  to  reduce  all  the  cultures  brought  to  America  to 
one  dead  uniformity;  or  ( e )  in  considering  language 
synonymous  with  patriotism  in  spite  of  the  adverse 
testimony  of  all  history  and  experience  (Ireland, 
Switzerland,  Wales,  United  States;  Vollmer,  “The 
Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,”  99-109).  ( 2 )  The 

good  and  successful  way  of  Americanization  consists 
(a)  in  establishing  a  correct  standard  of  American¬ 
ism  by  restudying  the  true  American  ideals,  as  found 
in  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  United  States 
Constitution,  the  Bills  of  Rights,  as  well  as  in  the  writ¬ 
ings  of  Washington,  Jefferson,  Webster,  Clay,  Lin¬ 
coln,  Carl  Schurz,  and  others;  ( h )  in  the  practice  of 
these  ideals  by  the  native  and  foreign-born  Americans 
so  that  the  newcomers  may  see  true  Americanism  in 
action.  For  Americanism  like  charity  begins  at  home. 
Let  the  Americans  begin  by  Americanizing  themselves 
according  to  the  true  standards  set  up  by  the  fathers, 
(c)  Employ  intelligent  and  broad-minded  Americans 


176 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


to  Americanize  the  foreigner,  preferably  selected  from 
the  foreigner’s  own  nationality.  Present  Americaniza¬ 
tion  methods  are  faulty.  Almost  everybody  wants  to 
Americanize.  In  the  majority  of  cases  those  inter¬ 
ested  in  Americanization  know  little  or  nothing  about 
the  foreign  born,  and  most  of  the  money  spent  is  more 
than  wasted,  (d)  The  “  melting  pot  ”  is  working  so 
perfectly  that  we  really  need  no  artificial  methods  for 
making  people  love  America.  The  practice  of  the 
homely  social  virtues  of  tolerance,  kindness,  unselfish¬ 
ness,  sincerity  and  honesty  toward  the  foreigner  is  all 
that  is  necessary.  “  Ubi  bene,  ibi  patria !  ”  On  the 
other  hand  every  movement  which  tends  to  drive  the 
edge  of  discord  deep  into  the  national  heart  is  un- 
American,  unpatriotic,  a  blot  upon  the  national  flag, 
and  no  amount  of  artificial  Americanization  wxork  will 
undo  the  mischief  perpetuated  by  intolerant,  hate¬ 
breeding  individuals  and  organizations  doing  their  dark 
work  in  this  fair  common  homeland  of  ours. 


IV.  Christianizing  the  State 

The  sublimest  duty  of  a  Christian  is  to  Christianize 
the  State  (Matt.  28:  19).  This  may  be  accomplished, 
(1)  not  by  uniting  Church  and  State,  neither  in  the 
Roman  Catholic  nor  the  Protestant  sense;  (2)  not  by 
merely  using  Divine  names  in  official  documents  or  on 
our  coins,  etc.,  though  American  Christians  are 
entirely  in  accord  with  having  God  acknowledged  on 
our  coins,  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  in 
almost  every  Presidential  Inaugural  and  in  other  state 
documents;  (3)  not  merely  by  observing  religious 
forms,  such  as  the  opening  of  the  Legislature  with 
prayer;  but  (4)  by  having  our  laws,  customs  and  busi- 


THE  STATE  AND  ITS  GOVERNMENT  177 


ness  affairs  reflect  the  principles  of  God’s  kingdom. 
“  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them;  ”  (5)  by  electing 
men  to  office  who  administer  the  government  in  a  spirit 
of  justice. 

Note.  In  a  true,  though  relative,  sense  the  American  nation 
may  be  edited  Christian,  because  (i)  it  owes  to  Christianity  the 
very  principles  upon  which  it  is  based — the  principles  of  equality, 
of  freedom,  and  of  self-government;  and,  (2)  because  the  many 
millions  of  true  Christians  in  America  are  successfully  trying  to 
instil  Christ’s  laws  into  the  hearts  of  our  people.  The  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States  was  therefore  clearly  within  the  facts 
when,  in  the  famous  case  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity  vs. 
the  United  States,  143  U.  S.  457,  page  465,  et  seq.,  it  decided 
that  ours  was  a  Christian  Nation.  Good  Americans  should 
faithfully  use  the  ballot  and  all  other  influences  to  make  our 
country  more  and  more  what  we  claim  it  to  be. 

V.  Attitude  of  the  Apostles  to  the  State 

Paul’s  frequent  exhortations  to  obey  the  government 
show  that  he  was  very  eager  to  preserve  friendly  re¬ 
lations  between  the  Roman  authorities  and  the  Chris¬ 
tians.  He  overlooks  the  unworthy  representatives  of 
the  government  and  stresses  the  principle  (Rom. 
13:  1-7).  This  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  he  was  a 
Roman  citizen,  and  was  often  protected  by  Roman 
officials.  He  also  may  have  feared  that  misunderstood 
emancipation  ideas  might  lead  to  open  rebellion,  and 
experience  shows  that  the  destruction  of  even  a  bad 
government  involves  an  awful  responsibility. 

Peter  also  preaches  submission  to  the  existing  gov¬ 
ernment;  but  the  book  of  Revelation  breathes  the  spirit 
of  fiery  opposition  to  the  “  beast  ”  which  is  the  Roman 
government,  predicting  its  speedy  downfall  (Kent, 
“  Social  Teaching,”  307 ;  Alexander,  “  Ethics  of  Paul,” 
307-319). 


178 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


VI.  American  Democracy  in  the  Light  of 
Christ’s  Political  Ideals 

Parallel  Readings: 

Wilcox,  “  Government  by  All  the  People.’*' 

Oberholzer,  “  Referendum,  Initiative  and  Recall.” 

Wilson,  Woodrow,  “  Constitutional  Government  in  the  United 
States.” 

Norton,  Thomas  James,  “  The  Constitution  of  the  United 
States.” 

The  Need  of  an  American  Labour  Party  (in  “  The  Church  and 
Its  American  Opportunity,”  131-168). 

For  the  political  platforms  of  the  Progressive  Party  of  1912, 
the  Socialist  Party  and  The  Federation  of  the  Churches  see 
Vedder’s  “  Social  Teaching,”  38S-394. 

The  American  people  cherish  with  deep  reverence 
the  principles  of  democratic  government.  For  a  long 
time  the  United  States  was  the  leader  in  free  govern¬ 
ment  throughout  the  world.  But  in  recent  years  sev¬ 
eral  nations  have  made  strenuous  efforts  to  get  ahead 
of  us.  Many  of  our  foremost  leaders  therefore  have 
expressed  the  opinion  that  we  need  (1)  a  revival  of 
the  true  spirit  of  democracy  and  (2)  a  reform  of  our 
laws  to  embody  the  new  spirit. 

(1)  Revival  of  the  true  Ideal  of  Democracy.  De¬ 
mocracy  is  not  a  set  of  devices,  a  form  of  machinery, 
of  suffrage,  of  representation,  of  elections,  of  relations 
of  executive  and  legislature,  and  the  like,  but  a  spirit, 
a  method  of  progress.  It  is  a  faith — unproved  like 
other  faiths,  but  with  heartening  gleams  of  promise — 
a  faith  in  a  common  humanity;  a  belief  that  men  are 
essentially  of  the  same  stuff;  it  denies  then  that  there 
can  be  any  such  thing  as  a  governing  class. 

To  make  the  people  as  a  whole  the  real  rulers  of  the 
land  necessarily  involves  a  fairer  distribution  of  prop¬ 
erty  and  wealth.  For  in  every  age  and  every  land,  that 


THE  STATE  AND  ITS  GOVERNMENT  179 


class  which  has  gained  control  of  the  industrial  power 
— that  is  to  say,  over  the  people’s  sources  of  livelihood 
and  over  their  means  of  getting  bread — also  necessarily 
and  as  a  matter  of  course  acquires  the  governing 
power,  the  political  control.  The  name  and  the  forms 
of  democracy  will  not  of  itself  insure  a  people’s  gov¬ 
ernment,  for  every  type  of  tyranny  known  to  a  suf¬ 
fering  world,  autocracy,  aristocracy,  plutocracy,  army- 
rule,  mob-rule,  has  operated  under  the  name  of  “  de¬ 
mocracy.” 

(2)  Hand  in  hand  with  strengthening  the  spirit  of 
true  democracy  must  go  improvement  of  democratic 
forms  and  methods.  This  has  always  been  done  since 
the  birth  of  our  nation.  To  the  Federal  Constitution  no 
less  than  eighteen  amendments  have  been  added,  and 
our  state  constitutions  have  been  revised  again  and 
again. 

Some  of  our  most  patriotic  men  believe  that  the 
following  changes  should  be  made  in  the  Federal  Con¬ 
stitution  in  order  to  facilitate  orderly  progress  of  our 
nation:  (1)  Submission  and  adoption  of  amendments 
by  a  bare  majority;  (2)  Election  of  the  President  by  a 
bare  majority  of  the  direct  votes  of  the  people;  (3) 
Proportional  representation,  to  give  minorities  their 
rights;  (4)  Partial  occupational,  instead  of  exclusive 
territorial  representation  in  Congress,  nine-tenths  of 
whose  members  have  usually  been  lawyers;  (5)  Some 
sort  of  legal  cooperation  between  Executive,  Cabinet, 
Department  heads  and  Congress;  (6)  Curtailment  of 
the  powers  of  the  President,  especially  in  the  conduct 
of  foreign  affairs. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


LAWLESSNESS  AND  THE  ADMINISTRATION 

OF  JUSTICE 

Parallel  Readings : 

Kent,  “  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  260-263. 
De  Quiros,  “  Modern  Theories  of  Criminality.” 

Devine,  E.  T.,  “  Social  Work,”  Part  IV. 

“  Everybody’s  Eegal  Adviser,”  at  Funk  and  Wagnalls. 

Flexner,  “Juvenile  Courts  and  Probation.” 

Parsons,  “  Responsibility  for  Crime.” 

Vedder,  “The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of 
Democracy,”  182-249  and  332-376. 

Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  VII,  619. 
Speer,  R.,  “  Principles  of  Jesus,”  132. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  258. 
Darrow,  “  Crime,  It's  Cause  and  Treatment.” 

“  Cry  of  Justice,”  148,  160,  868. 

Haines,  Grove,  “  The  American  Doctrine  of  Judicial  Suprem¬ 
acy.” 

MacDonald,  William,  “A  New  Constitution  for  a  New 
America.” 

Warren,  Charles,  “  The  Supreme  Court  in  United  States 
History.” 

Norton,  “The  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  Its  Sources 
and  Its  Application.” 

Beard,  Ch.,  “An  Economic  Interpretation  of  the  Court.” 
Corwin,  E.,  “  The  Doctrine  of  Judicial  Review.” 

Roosevelt,  “Progressive  Principles.”  (Chap.  XI:  “Recall  of 
Judicial  Decisions.”) 

Abbott,  “  Christianity  and  Social  Problems,”  297. 

Tannebaum,  “  Wall  Shadows.” 

Schenclc,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  chap.  19. 

Bonger,  W.,  “  Criminality  and  Economic  Conditions.” 

180 


LAWLESSNESS  AND  JUSTICE 


181 


Jones,  G.  A.,  “  History  of  Penal  Methods.” 

Booth,  M.  B.,  “After  Prison — What?” 

Crimes  and  their  Punishment,  and  Criminology  in  Hastings’ 
“  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  IV,  249-305  and  305- 
314. 

Because  of  their  special  importance  we  have  re¬ 
served  three  functions  of  the  state  for  separate  dis¬ 
cussion  in  this  and  the  two  following  chapters: — the 
administration  of  justice,  the  war  system  and  inter¬ 
national  relations.  We  will  begin  with  the  subject  of 
lawlessness  and  crime. 


I.  Christ’s  Contact  with  Lawlessness  and 

Court  Procedure 

1.  Historical  Background.  In  many  passages  the 
Old  Testament  denounces  wickedness  in  high  places 
and  demands  uprightness  in  meting  out  impartial  jus¬ 
tice  (Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  31-33,  45,  63,  94,  95, 
149-151,  260).  Throughout  the  Roman  Empire 
studied  cruelty  or  favouritism  marked  the  treatment 
of  the  criminals  in  Christ’s  days,  and  corruption  ruled 
in  the  administration  of  so-called  justice. 

2.  Christ's  Conflict  with  Lawlessness.  (1)  The 

very  object  of  the  incarnation  of  the  Holy  and  Sinless 
One  was  to  bring  Him  into  close  contact  with  a  world 
steeped  in  lawlessness  and  crime  in  order  to  save  it 
from  its  sins  (John  3:  16).  (2)  His  enemies,  how¬ 

ever,  frequently  charged  Him  with  personal  lawless¬ 
ness,  with  condoning  lawlessness  in  others  and  with 
associating  with  criminals  (Luke  15:  1;  19:  10).  (3) 

John  5:  17;  9:  22  seems  to  imply  that  Jesus  was  ex¬ 
communicated.  (4)  His  enemies  surrounded  Him  con¬ 
stantly  with  official  spies  (Luke  5:  17).  (5)  Christ’s 


182 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


experience  with  Jewish  and  Roman  courts  did  not 
prepossess  Him  in  their  favour.  He  was  charged  with 
treason  under  three  specifications  (Luke  23:  2),  and 
His  trials  before  the  Jewish  as  well  as  the  Roman 
courts  bristle  with  illegal  features  (Vollmer,  “  Mod¬ 
ern  Student’s  Life  of  Christ/'  248-250).  (6)  For  a 

few  hours  the  Lord  was  held  in  some  kind  of  prison 
(Luke  22:  54  and  66).  (7)  Among  the  illegal  fea¬ 

tures  was  shameful  abuse,  the  application  of  the 
“third  degree"  (John  18:22;  19:2).  (8)  Finally, 

He  suffered  the  death  penalty.  (9)  Even  after  His 
death  His  body  was  treated  with  brutality  (John 
19 :  34)  and  it  escaped  further  indignities  only  through 
the  intervention  of  two  of  His  prominent  friends 
(John  19:  38-42). 

3.  In  His  general  teaching,  Jesus  deplored  the 
prevalence  of  lawlessness  but  predicted  an  increase  of 
this  condition  (Matt.  24:  10).  That  Christ  favoured 
the  reign  of  law  and  order  appears  from  John  7:  53- 
8:  11.  The  injunction  in  Matthew  7:  1-3  refers  to 
censoriousness  and  harshness  in  social  intercourse  and 
is  not  a  prohibition  of  the  administration  of  orderly 
justice.  The  transgression  of  foolish  and  oppressive 
rules  and  regulations  Jesus  regarded  rather  lightly 
(Mark  7:  1-23). 

4.  The  Apostles  and  the  early  Christians  came  fre¬ 
quently  into  conflict  with  the  laws  of  Church  and  State 
(Acts,  chaps.  3,  5,  6,  21-28;  Phil.,  chap.  1;  2  Tim.), 
and  occasionally  were  harshly  treated  (Acts  16:  37; 
23:2). 

II.  The  Causes  of  Lawlessness  and  Crime 

1.  Crime  is  everywhere  on  the  increase.  “  Billy 
Sunday  "  made  this  statement  at  Dayton,  O.,  on  No- 


LAWLESSNESS  AND  JUSTICE 


183 


v  ember  2,  1922:  “We  lead  the  world  in  crime.  There 
is  a  murder  every  hour  of  the  day  and  night  in  our 
land.  We  have  averaged  ten  to  fifteen  thousand  a 
year  for  the  past  seventeen  years.  In  Germany  there 
are  five  murders  to  every  million  of  the  population; 
in  England,  eight;  in  Canada,  twelve;  in  Italy,  four¬ 
teen;  in  France,  sixteen;  in  Belgium,  seventeen;  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  eighty-one.” 

2.  The  fundamental  .cause  of  all  lawlessness  is  sin, 
the  principle  of  which  is  selfishness.  But  this  general 
principle  expresses  itself  in  many  concrete  details  of 
wrong,  lawlessness  and  crime.  It  requires  very  little 
reflection  to  see  that  in  a  large  measure  these  crimes 
are  a  social  product ,  that  is,  traceable  to  our  economic 
maladjustment.  Hence  a  more  Christlike  social  order 
would  automatically  wipe  out  a  large  percentage  of 
crime  and  lawlessness  among  high  and  low,  rich  and 
poor.  (Give  illustrations  !) 

It  is  therefore  of  supreme  importance  that  society 
should  realize  not  only  its  own  responsibility,  but  the 
necessity  of  making  the  most  searching  investigation 
of  the  process  whereby  crime  is  produced,  and  devise 
means  to  suppress  or  at  least  to  mitigate  the  evil.  Our 
lofty  professional  criminologists  are  always  ready  to 
charge  lawlessness  to  a  “  criminal  psychology  ” ;  but 
this  is  taking  a  result  for  the  cause.  It  has  been  proved 
in  millions  of  cases  that  children  and  adults  who  were 
charged  with  having  a  “  criminal  psychology  ”  were 
simply  the  victims  of  social  injustice  in  some  form, 
and  when  the  cause  of  this  was  ascertained  and  re¬ 
moved  and  the  victims  were  accorded  humane  treat¬ 
ment  in  terms  of  love  and  service  their  “  criminal 
psychology  ”  at  once  vanished.  We  deal  with  effects 
only  when  we  build  prisons  for  the  incarceration  of 


184 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


criminals  that  we  ourselves  have  created  and  for  whom 
we  are  responsible. 

III.  Necessary  Reforms  in  the  Administration 

of  Justice 

(1)  Abolition  of  the  spy  system,  for  it  has  the  psy¬ 
chological  effect  of  making  criminals.  As  Jesus  was 
constantly  watched  by  spies  “  sitting  by  ”  He  would 
not  favour  such  a  system.  When  after  the  war,  “  100 
per  centers  ”  offered  their  services  to  spy  on  their 
neighbours  even  in  times  of  peace,  the  United  States 
General  Attorney  declared;  “Espionage  work  con¬ 
ducted  by  private  individuals  or  organizations  is  en¬ 
tirely  at  variance  with  our  theories  of  government, 
and  its  operation  in  any  community  constitutes  a  grave 
menace.”  (2)  More  humane  treatment  of  the  accused 
preceding  his  trial.  Jesus  most  certainly  disapproved 
of  the  brutal  treatment  accorded  to  prisoners,  which 
He  used  as  mere  illustration  and  from  which  He  Him¬ 
self  as  well  as  His  Apostles  suffered  (Matt.  18:  28). 
“  Confessions  ”  extorted  by  overzealous  prosecuting 
officials  by  the  infamous  process  known  as  “  the  third 
degree  ”  is  a  relic  of  the  Dark  Ages.  A  victim,  worn 
out  by  suffering,  or  lack  of  sleep  or  nourishment,  or 
violent  abuse  in  any  form,  can  often  be  made  to  say 
whatever  his  tormentors  wish  him  to  say.  (3)  A 
speedy  trial .  Recently  the  “  American  Bar  Associa¬ 
tion  ”  held  that  modernization  and  simplification  of 
court  practice  is  one  of  the  great  needs  of  to-day.  The 
people  want  to  see  their  courts  made  active,  efficient 
and  quick-working  engines  for  the  delivery  of  justice. 
Archaic  forms  and  technicalities  should  be  eliminated, 
and  legal  procedure  be  shorn  of  some  of  the  artificiali- 


LAWLESSNESS  AND  JUSTICE 


185 


ties  which  do  not  promote  justice  but  which  do  make 
for  delay.  Several  states  have  introduced  such  re¬ 
forms,  e.  g.,  Missouri  and  New  York.  Undue  delay 
is  constructive  bribery,  holding  out  rewards  in  fees, 
etc.,  to  lawyers.  (4)  Inexpensive  trials,  so  that  the 
poor  man  as  well  as  the  rich  may  get  his  rights.  (5) 
Suppression  of  all  mob  trials  and  lynchings.  It  is  the 
sacred  duty  of  true  patriots  to  din  it  constantly  into 
the  consciences  of  the  American  people  that  there  is 
no  civilized  nation  in  which  the  mob  (frequently  in¬ 
cluding  the  “  best  people  ”)  is  allowed  so  much  license 
as  among  us ;  not  only  in  times  of  war,  but  also  during 
peace.  Professor  Snowden  says:  “  The  mob  spirit  is 
one  of  the  most  disgraceful  aspects  of  American  life, 
putting  us  in  a  very  bad  light  in  comparison  with  every 
other  nation.”  We  are  playing  with  fire;  destruction 
may  sometime  reach  those  who  now  condone  race 
hatred.  “  For  no  life  is  safe  as  long  as  any  life  is 
at  the  mercy  of  a  mob.”  (6)  Jesus  discouraged  oath¬ 
taking  (Matt.  5:33;  23:  16-22;  also  James  5),  be¬ 
cause  the  practice  tends  to  untruthfulness  in  ordinary 
life.  (7)  During  the  trial  the  dignity  of  personality 
should  be  respected  and  coarse,  humiliating  language 
on  the  part  of  judge,  attorney,  witnesses  and  accused 
should  be  discouraged.  (8)  The  penalty  inflicted 
should  be  fair,  moderate  and  humane,  influenced 
neither  by  maudlin  sympathy  nor  by  undue  severity 
and  passion.  If,  as  is  said,  the  tendency  of  imposing 
maximum  sentences  is  an  indication  of  a  low  culture, 
then  some  American  judges  should  correct  their  habits 
in  this  respect. 

IV.  Three  Specially  Pressing  Reforms 
1.  The  Abolition  of  the  Death  Penalty.  An  in- 


186 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


creasing  number  of  religious  and  other  humane  people 
hold  that  the  death  penalty  cannot  be  harmonized  with 
Christ’s  insistence  on  the  value  of  personality,  with 
the  commandment,  “  Thou  shalt  not  kill,”  with  the  be¬ 
lief  in  the  reformability  of  perverted  human  nature 
and  with  the  growing  belief  that  society  must  share 
part  of  the  guilt  in  all  crimes.  A  recent  writer  says: 
“  Christianity  should  set  its  face  against  taking  the 
life  of  those  who  have  sinned  against  society.  En¬ 
tirely  outside  the  Church  there  is  developing  a  mighty 
protest  against  the  revolting  executions  of  criminals. 
Leading  penologists  are  opposed  to  the  practice,  not 
because  of  any  religious  scruple,  but  because  it  wholly 
fails  to  deter  others  from  similar  crimes  and  has  no 
place  in  a  humane  and  scientific  treatment  of  those 
who,  for  whatsoever  cause,  have  slain  a  brother  man. 
The  practice  is  brutal,  heartless  and  pagan.”  But 
probably  the  majority  of  Americans  still  favour  the 
death-penalty,  basing  its  view  on  the  Old  Testament 
and  the  arguments  of  traditional  criminology.  No 
clear  teaching  in  favour  of  the  death  penalty  can  be 
found  in  the  New  Testament.  This  and  the  many 
cases  of  “  judicial  murders  ”  of  persons  afterwards 
proved  to  have  been  innocent  should  discourage  the 
infliction  of  the  death  penalty.  (2)  As  long  as  the 
death  penalty  is  inflicted  Christ’s  spirit  and  teaching 
would  insist  on  the  most  humane  method  of  execution. 
(What  were  some  of  the  old  and  what  are  the  various 
present  methods  of  executing  capital  punishment?) 

2.  Prison  Reform.  As  the  aim  of  punishment  for 
crime  according  to  enlightened  criminology  is  not  re¬ 
venge  (causing  as  much  pain  as  possible),  nor  expia¬ 
tion  (which  in  the  very  nature  of  the  case  is  impossi¬ 
ble),  but  protection  of  society  and  the  reform  of  the 


LAWLESSNESS  AND  JUSTICE 


187 


criminal,  Christ’s  law,  “  Love  your  enemies,”  should 
be  followed  by  society  in  treating  its  enemies.  This 
method  alone  succeeds.  (2)  The  cleansing  of  the 
American  prison  system  of  the  many  barbarities  still 
openly  practiced  is  one  of  the  loudest  social  demands. 
To  mention  only  one  atrocity:  Physicians  complain 
that  every  year  we  send  unjustly  to  prison  hundreds 
of  insane  and  feeble-minded  persons  who  in  the  course 
of  their  mental  disturbances  have  violated  the  penal 
law.  (3)  Prevention,  however,  is  better  than  cure. 
Religious  education,  Christian  training,  the  infusion 
of  more  righteousness  into  our  economic  affairs,  Juve¬ 
nile  Courts,  institutions  for  wayward  youth,  pervaded 
by  Christ’s  spirit,  etc.,  have  reduced  and  will  still  more 
reduce  crime  (John  8:  32,  36). 

3.  Limitation  of  the  Power  of  the  United  States 
Supreme  Court.  Should  the  power  of  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court  to  decide  whether  a  law  is  or 
is  not  in  accord  with  the  Federal  Constitution  be  cur¬ 
tailed  because  this  practice  has  often  impeded  social  and 
economic  progress?  (Dred  Scott,  income  tax,  child 
labour  decisions.)  Many  of  America’s  greatest  states¬ 
men,  from  Jefferson  to  Roosevelt,  have  advocated  one 
or  the  other  of  the  following  changes:  (1)  Wiping 
out  entirely  the  American  practice  of  judicial  su¬ 
premacy,  as  it  is  not  found  in  other  free  countries; 
(2)  Popular  elections  of  the  judges  of  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court  to  keep  them  in  closer  contact 
with  the  people’s  aspirations;  (3)  Roosevelt’s  idea  of 
recalling  judicial  decisions  by  popular  referendum. 
Proposition  2  and  3  would  drag  our  highest  court  into 
factional  politics,  which  certainly  would  make  matters 
worse;  (4)  Require  unanimity  or  a  two-thirds  or  a 
three-fourths  majority  of  the  nine  judges.  This  would 


1 88  NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 

prohibit  one  judge  from  nullifying  legislation  de¬ 
manded  by  the  people,  as  has  been  done  repeatedly  with 
some  of  the  most  important  laws. 

Questions: 

1.  What  is  the  difference  between  sin  and  crime? 

2.  Is  a  man  justified  in  disobeying  a  law  which  he  thinks 
wrong?  In  other  words:  Is  man’s  conscience  supreme  to  the 
law  of  the  country? 

3.  How  far  is  modern  society  applying  Jesus’  method  of  deal¬ 
ing  with  criminals? 

4.  In  what  ways  does  modern  sociology,  criminology  and 
psychoanalysis  tend  to  promote  a  merciful  attitude  toward  wrong¬ 
doing?. 


/ 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE  WAR  SYSTEM 

Parallel  Readings: 

Turner,  “  Shall  it  Be  Again?  ” 

Angell,  Norman,  “The  Great  Illusion” 

Howe,  “Why  War?” 

Irwin,  “  The  Next  War.” 

Taylor,  “  God  of  War.”  (A  scathing  attack  on  war.) 

Vedder,  “The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of 
Democracy,”  242-249. 

“  The  Church  and  its  American  Opportunity,”  3-38. 

Hastings,  “  Dictionary  of  Apostlic  Church,”  II,  646. 

Russell,  B.,  “Why  Men  Fight,”  3-116. 

Addams,  Jane,  “New  Ideals  of  Peace.” 

Bryant,  “  Library  of  Poetry,”  I,  531,  541. 

“  Cry  of  Justice,”  371,  555,  562,  567,  568,  579- 
Neilson,  T.,  “How  Diplomats  Make  War.” 

Speer,  R.,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  119,  123. 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus"  Principles  of  Living,”  112-114. 

Babson,  “  The  Future  of  World  Peace.” 

Jefferson,  C.  E.,  “  Christianity  and  International  Peace.” 
Dodge,  D.  L-,  “  War  Inconsistent  with  the  Religion  of  Christ.” 
Kant,  “  Perpetual  Peace.” 

Percy,  “A  Substitute  for  War.” 

Walsh,  “  The  Moral  Damage  of  War.” 

Wilson,  Wm.  E.,  “  Christ  and  War.” 

Gilbert,  “  The  Bible  and  Universal  Peace.” 

MacKaye,  “A  Substitute  for  War.” 

Hansbrough,  “  War  and  Woman.” 

Ferris,  G.  H.,  “  The  War  Traders.” 

Gulick,  S.  L.,  “  The  Fight  for  Peace.” 

Benson,  A.  L.,  “A  Way  to  Prevent  War.” 

Advocate  of  Peace,  Monthly  Official  Organ  American  Peace 
Society  (Washington,  D.  C.). 

Rauschenbusch,  “Prayers  of  the  Social  Awakening,”  65,  97,  ill. 
Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics.” 

189 


190  NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 

Gulick,  Sidney  L.,  “  The  Christian  Crusade  for  a  Warless 
World.” 

Hartzler,  J.  S.,  “  Mennonites  in  the  World  War:  Non-resist¬ 
ance  under  Test.” 

Another  important  power  which  all  nations,  free 
and  otherwise,  have  entrusted  to  their  government  is 
to  declare,  conduct  and  end  war. 

I.  Approach  to  Christ’s  Attitude  on  War 

1.  Historical  Background.  It  was  a  war-torn 
world  in  which  Jesus  and  His  Apostles  lived.  Not 
only  pagan  literature  but  also  the  Old  Testament  glori¬ 
fied  war.  In  primitive  Old  Testament  times  Jehovah 
was  even  believed  to  be  “  a  God  of  war,”  and  in 
Christ’s  time  it  was  considered  a  sign  of  special  “  zeal 
for  the  Lord  ”  to  excite  the  people  to  war  against 
Rome  (Kent,  “Social  Teaching,”  78-80,  104,  263). 

2.  The  only  successful  method  of  arriving  at 
Christ’s  true  attitude  on  war  is  (1)  to  form  an  un¬ 
varnished  definition  of  what  actual  war  really  is,  based 
on  technical  war  literature  and  illustrated  by  actual 
warfare;  and  (2)  to  seek  for  an  unprejudiced  inter¬ 
pretation  of  Christ’s  general  principles  as  well  as  of 
the  few  concrete  sayings  bearing  on  the  subject. 

3.  A  truthful  definition  of  actual  war:— Modern 
war  is  a  highly  organized  contention  carried  on  by 
force  of  arms  and  violence  of  all  kinds  between  sov¬ 
ereign  states,  caused  in  modern  times  almost  exclu¬ 
sively  by  commercial  rivalry.  It  has  a  fourfold  object: 
to  kill  or  maim  as  many  enemies  as  possible ;  to  destroy 
or  take  as  much  property  and  land  as  possible;  to  in¬ 
jure  the  reputation  of  the  enemy  in  the  highest  degree 
possible  by  private  or  official  propaganda,  and  to  make 
recovery  of  the  enemy  either  impossible,  or  as  diffi- 


THE  WAR  SYSTEM 


191 


cult  as  the  expectation  of  indemnity  or  the  attitude  of 
the  neutral  nations  may  deem  advisable.  The  inevi¬ 
table  effect  of  war  on  religion  and  ethics  has  always 
been  the  wholesale  destruction  of  vast  amounts  of  the 
most  precious  spiritual  values  built  up  for  generations, 
such  as  high  morality,  true  piety,  church  habits,  pure 
family  life,  truthfulness,  honesty,  etc.,  by  a  deluge  of 
vices,  crime-waves,  loathsome  diseases,  evil  habits, 
sexual  excesses  and  a  general  degeneration  of  the  hu¬ 
man  race  (“  Great  Illusion,”  287,  291). 

This  is  a  true,  though  a  very  faint  and  inadequate 
portrait  of  the  monster  “  War.”  All  the  good  things 
thoughtlessly  ascribed  to  war,  such  as  heroism,  patriot¬ 
ism,  self-denial,  national  rebirth,  etc.,  are  either  greatly 
exaggerated  by  paid  propaganda  or  have  been  devel¬ 
oped  before  the  war  by  peaceful  methods. 

This  conception  of  war  differs  from  that  of  the 
militarists  and  imperialists  who  regard  war  as  a  bio¬ 
logical  necessity,  a  wholesome  struggle  for  the  survival 
of  the  fittest  and  thus  a  way  of  advancing  the  power 
and  ultimate  glory  of  the  race.  But  to  promote  virility 
and  the  sterner  manly  virtues  it  is  certainly  not  neces¬ 
sary  to  resort  to  wholesale  slaughter;  there  are  ample 
opportunities  in  times  of  peace  for  cultivating  the 
heroic  side  of  life. 


II.  Sevenfold  Evidence  of  Christ’s  Opposition 

to  War 

The  argument  for  Christ’s  opposition  to  war  may  be 
established  by  a  sevenfold  group  of  evidence:  general 
presumption,  the  Old  Testament  prophecies,  the  prin¬ 
ciples  of  God’s  kingdom,  Christ’s  character  and  con¬ 
duct,  individual  texts,  the  echo  of  the  Apostolic  writ- 


192 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


ings  and  the  teaching  and  practice  of  the  ancient 
Church. 

Presumptive  Evidence.  (1)  Assuming  that  Christ  is 
the  true  Son  of  God,  a  factor  in  the  creation  and  pres¬ 
ervation  of  the  universe,  absolutely  sinless  and  holy, 
whose  very  nature  it  is  to  love  men  in  the  purest  sense 
of  the  word — how  can  a  being  of  such  a  character  be 
supposed  to  tolerate  and  even  favour  a  practice  like 
war  which  as  to  its  real  essence  is  nothing  but  a  most 
fiendish  mixture  of  abhorrent  crimes  and  atrocities? 
How  dare  Christians  degrade  Him  whom  they  profess 
to  be  the  purest  and  holiest,  so  far  below  those  millions 
of  ordinary  men  who  for  the  past  two  thousand  years 
have  hated  war  with  a  righteous  hatred?  (2)  The 
most  important  Messianic  predictions  in  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  proclaim  Jesus  as  the  Prince  of  Peace  and  the 
Messianic  age  as  a  warless,  prosperous  and  happy  era 
(Isa.  9:6;  Zech.  9:  10;  Luke  2:  14).  (3)  The  logical 
inference  from  Christ’s  teachings  on  the  kingdom  of 
God,  from  His  high  evaluation  of  human  personality 
and  from  His  lofty  ideal  of  human  brotherhood  is  that 
Christ  is  opposed  to  the  wholesale  slaughter  of  men. 
(4)  Christ’s  personal  conduct  shows  that  He  constantly 
opposed  the  “  War-Lord  ”  ideal  of  the  Messiah,  cher¬ 
ished  by  the  Jews.  He  Himself  as  well  as  the  Jewish 
Council  knew  that  the  peace  of  the  land  was  in  His 
hand  (John  11:  47-48)  ;  yet  He  firmly  and  constantly 
repudiated  any  violent  revolution.  When  well-mean¬ 
ing  Peter  used  the  sword  in  Christ’s  defense,  He  re¬ 
buked  him  in  severe  language  (Matt.  4:  1-10;  21:  1- 
9;  26:52).  In  thus  refusing  brutal  force,  Christ 
showed  a  sagacity  millenniums  ahead  of  His  times, 
asserting  that  violence  calls  out  violence,  and  that  evil 
is  not  permanently  lessened  by  counter-evil. 


THE  WAR  SYSTEM 


193 


Incidental  Teachings  of  Christ  Against  War .  (a) 

Jesus  predicted  wars  against  Jerusalem  and  at  the  end 
of  the  age ;  but  He  added  not  a  word  of  sanction  as  to 
these  wars,  nor  did  He  encourage  the  Christians  to 
join  in  those  battles;  for  they  were  not  of  the  Lord 
but  sprang  from  the  evil  in  the  world  and  its  rejection 
of  Christ's  teachings.  All  the  Christians  were  to  do 
was  to  possess  their  souls  in  patience  while  the  world- 
struggle  lasted  (Matt.  24:13;  Mark  13:7;  Luke 
21:  19).  (b)  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  bristles  with 

pacific  exhortation,  and  this  is  the  more  important  as 
that  discourse  is  the  constitution  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  on  earth.  In  that  document  Christ  bestowed  upon 
His  children  the  honourable  name  of  “  pacifist  ”  (Matt. 
5:  9) ;  “  Blessed  are  the  pacifists  ”  (Greek:  eirenopoioi, 
Latin:  pacifici),  “  for  they  shall  be  called  sons  of  God.” 
(What  shall  the  militarists  be  called?)  Here  again, 
history  confirms  Christ’s  teaching.  Pugnacity  is  a 
clear  proof  of  a  low  stage  of  moral  development,  and 
the  “  rowdy  ”  nations  all  come  to  grief,  sooner  or  later 
(Assyria,  Babylonia,  Rome  and  modern  empires), 
(c)  Christ,  when  asked  how  to  gain  eternal  life,  an¬ 
swered:  “Obey  the  commandments”  (Matt.  19:  18) 
and  one  of  these  is  “  Thou  shalt  not  kill,”  neither 
wholesale  nor  retail,  nor  by  hating  (Matt.  5:  22).  ( d ) 

Love  your  enemies  (Matt.  5:43).  (e)  Resist  not 

evil  (Matt.  5:  38).  When  understood  in  its  true  sense, 
the  precept  stands  the  pragmatic  test,  i.  e.,  it  works  to 
perfection,  when  rationally  practiced.  (See  our  inter¬ 
pretation  in  chapter  ten.) 

3.  Sayings  of  Jesus  often  misinterpreted  in  favour 
of  war.  (1)  Matthew  10:  34.  The  context  plainly 
shows  that  Christ  here  merely  means  to  state  the  de¬ 
plorable  experience  that  faith  in  Him  often  separates 


194 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


the  closest  ties  of  family  and  friendship.  Not  the 
faintest  idea  of  bloody  war  was  in  His  mind  when  He 
uttered  this  figure  of  speech.  (2)  Luke  22:  36  is  often 
quoted  as  favouring  “  preparedness  for  war.”  But 
what  Christ  meant  to  say  was:  “  From  now  on  you 
must  protect  yourselves,”  using  the  customary  symbol 
of  protection  against  foes.  (3)  Advocates  of  the  war 
system  persistently  confuse  the  use  of  force  with  or¬ 
ganized  bloody  war  by  quoting  passages  favouring  the 
application  of  force  in  defense  of  war.  No  sane 
pacifist  denies  the  occasional  need  of  coercion  in  a 
world  of  sin  and  crime.  But  the  use  of  force  is  not 
synonymous  with  waging  a  bloody  war.  For  example, 
all  the  objects,  even  the  wrong  ones,  which  brought 
on  the  World  War,  1914-1918,  could  have  been  gained 
by  the  use  of  moral,  religious,  diplomatic,  financial  and 
commercial  pressure,  without  slaughtering  a  single 
man. 

III.  Attitude  of  the  Apostolic  and  the  Ancient 

Church  on  War 

(1)  The  teachings  of  the  Apostles  stress  the  king¬ 
dom  of  God,  the  value  of  personality,  the  supremacy 
of  love,  non-resistance,  etc.,  as  essential  Christian 
ideals  and  the  plain  inference  from  such  teaching  is 
that  they  were  against  war  (1  Cor.  13:  5-8;  Rom. 
12:  17-27;  13:  8-10;  14:  17;  1  Peter  2:  23).  Terri¬ 
ble  wars  and  catastrophes  are  predicted  in  some  of 
their  writings,  but  these  were  to  be  waged  by  the  un¬ 
godly  (James  4:1-7;  Book  of  Revelation).  (2) 
Christian  pacifism  has  never  been  without  strong  wit¬ 
nesses  in  all  ages  of  the  Church,  as  John  C.  Cadoux 
shows  in  “  The  Early  Christian  Attitude  to  War.” 


THE  WAR  SYSTEM 


195 


(Published  by  Headley  Bros.,  London.)  Later  the 
Anabaptists,  the  Mennonites  and  Quakers  bore  strong 
testimony  against  the  brutal  war-system,  and  to-day 
there  are  millions  of  genuine  pacifists  in  and  outside 
of  the  Church,  some  of  them  proving  the  sincerity  and 
strength  of  their  conviction  by  suffering  for  them. 
(3)  Besides  this  type  of  uncompromising  pacifism, 
based  on  principles  of  religion  and  humanity,  there  are 
millions  of  qualified  pacifists ,  as,  e.  g.y  the  Socialists, 
who  denounce  wars  only  in  so  far  as  they  are  waged 
for  the  defense  of  what  they  decry  as  “  the  capitalistic 
ruling  class,”  or  as  those  groups  of  citizens  who  dis¬ 
courage  war  against  certain  nations,  while  encouraging 
it  against  others. 

Having  seen  that  the  war  system  as  such  is  dia¬ 
metrically  opposed  to  Christ’s  Christianity,  it  behooves 
His  followers  and  all  true  lovers  of  mankind  to  find 
answers  to  the  three  questions:  what  may  the  people 
as  a  whole,  what  may  the  Church  in  particular  and 
what  may  special  groups  of  people  do  to  loosen  and 
finally  throw  off  the  strangle-hold  of  the  war  system 
on  the  nations  ? 

IV.  What  Can  the  People  as  a  Whole  do  to 
Destroy  the  War-System? 

They  must  keep  reliably  informed  as  to  what  is 
the  unvarnished  truth  about  war  by  mercilessly  expos¬ 
ing  the  monster  in  all  its  hideousness,  tearing  off  the 
pious,  moral  and  patriotic  masks  by  which  ignorance 
and  self-interest  are  trying  to  hide  its  ugly  face. 
(Name  some  recent  illuminating  books  and  articles.) 
Adequate  information  about  war  must  include  the  fol¬ 
lowing:  (a)  Explanations  of  the  true  causes  of  war 


196 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


of  which  there  are  five:  first,  the  conflict  of  eco¬ 
nomic  interests  between  the  various  powers;  second, 
the  presence  of  large  armaments  and  militaristic 
groups;  third,  munition  makers,  who  are  interested  in 
keeping  alive  national  hatreds ;  fourth,  national  hatreds 
and  race  prejudices;  fifth,  the  inherited  crimes  of  the 
past,  the  oppression  of  small  nationalities,  who,  in 
striving  for  breathing  space,  came  into  conflict  with  the 
bigger  nations.  The  first  of  these  causes,  commercial 
rivalry,  is  the  most  sordid  and  frequent  one  (James 
4:  1-6;  Marti,  “Anglo  Saxon  Rivalry  as  a  Cause  of 
the  Great  War”).  ( b )  The  people  must  be  shown 
that  the  real  object  of  war  is  very  seldom  found  in 
any  of  those  idealistic  aims  proclaimed  in  official  docu¬ 
ments,  sermons  and  the  press.  The  demands  of  the 
victor  and  the  final  peace  treaties  alone  tell  the  truth 
about  the  real  aims  and  objects  of  war.  ( c )  The  awful 
destructiveness  of  war  as  to  material  and  moral  values 
should  be  incessantly  pressed  upon  the  attention  of 
the  people. 

Note.  The  United  States  Government  expenditures,  Mr. 
Hoover  declared  in  1922,  are  divided  into  three  classes,  sixty-four 
per  cent,  being  in  payment  for  past  wars,  twenty-five  per  cent, 
for  future  wars  and  ten  per  cent,  for  normal  functions,  five  per 
cent,  of  which  is  spent  for  welfare.  The  United  States  during 
the  one  hundred  and  thirty-one  years  under  the  Constitution  has 
spent  $52,000,000,000  for  wars.  The  net  expenditures  in  the 
World  War,  1914-18,  for  both  the  Allies  and  Germany  and  her 
allies  are  found  to  be  $186,000,000,000.  Of  the  principal  belliger¬ 
ents  Great  Britain  is  shown  to  have  spent  most,  Germany  second, 
United  States  third  and  France  fourth.  Professor  Bogart  com¬ 
pares  the  figures  for  the  World  War  with  those  obtainable  on 
previous  wars.  The  direct  monetary  cost  of  the  Napoleonic  wars 
was  $3,070,000,000,  the  American  Civil  War  $7,000,000,000,  the 
Franco-Prussian  War  $3,210,000,000.  But  it  becomes  increasingly 
clear  that  America’s  loss  of  valuable  lives  and  of  money  in  this 


THE  WAR  SYSTEM 


197 


war  was  as  nothing  compared  to  her  loss  of  moral,  social,  and 
political  values. 

V.  What  Can  the  Church  in  Particular  do  to 
Abolish  the  War  System 

(i)  The  leaders  of  the  Church  must  continuously 
study  the  whole  subject  of  war  and  pacifism  in  her 
colleges,  seminaries,  synods,  conferences,  congrega¬ 
tions  and  literature  more  than  ever  before.  (2)  The 
churches  must  enter  seriously  upon  the  difficult  task  of 
working  out  a  clear-cut,  consistent  dogma  on  war  and 
pacifism,  based  on  the  principles  of  Christ’s  Gospel  and 
not  on  documents  issued  by  the  governments,  so  that 
when  individual  “  sons  of  thunder  ”  in  the  pulpit  advo¬ 
cate  war,  the  world  may  know  that  they  do  not  ex¬ 
press  the  mind  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  The  Church¬ 
man  recently  declared:  “We  shall  never  end  the  stupid, 
beastly  business  of  war  until  the  Christian  Church  de¬ 
clares  war  to  be  a  sin  and  follows  up  that  declaration 
with  appropriate  action.  Most  ministers  are  quite 
ready  to  agree,  especially  in  the  piping  times  of  peace, 
that  war  is  wrong.  But  let  a  war  cloud  no  bigger  than 
a  man’s  hand  appear  on  the  horizon  of  the  nation’s 
life,  and  they  straightway  begin  to  qualify  their  judg¬ 
ment,  and  if  the  war  cloud  grow  until  it  covers  all  the 
heavens,  they  finally  reverse  it.  This  brings  the  curi¬ 
ous  situation  of  all  war  being  wrong  in  general,  and 
each  war  being  right  in  particular.”  (3)  An  official 
church  dogma  on  war  is  the  more  important  because 
the  militarists  have  long  ago  worked  out  their  “  war- 
dogma,”  affirming  that  the  foundation  of  power  is 
physical  force,  and  that  national  greatness  is  measured 
in  terms  of  military  strength.  The  creed  of  the  milita¬ 
rist  has  three  articles.  First,  war  is  a  good  thing,  an  in-t 


198 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


dispensable  thing ;  without  it  men  lose  the  virile  virtues, 
and  the  moral  fibre  of  a  nation  rots.  Second,  prepared¬ 
ness  for  war  is  the  supreme  national  duty.  A  nation 
must  be  an  army,  and  its  men  must  practice  the  art  of 
warfare  all  the  time.  Third,  military  and  naval  officers 
form  a  superior  caste;  they  are  the  custodians  of  a 
nation’s  honour.  (4)  Small  beginnings  in  this  direc¬ 
tion  have  been  made  by  the  Federation  of  Churches 
and  individual  denominations. 

If  in  spite  of  all  efforts  another  war  should  break 
out  the  Church  must,  of  course,  be  loyal  to  its  nation, 
but  at  the  same  time  she  must  stoutly  refuse  to  prosti¬ 
tute  herself  into  an  agency  for  the  spread  of  hate  prop¬ 
aganda  and  the  glorification  of  armed  violence.  For, 
in  the  language  of  The  Churchman:  “  War  is  hell,  and 
when  the  Christian  clergy  bless  it  they  are,  in  our 
opinion,  betraying  the  Master.”  The  church  organi¬ 
zations  are  in  honour  bound  to  protect  their  ministers 
when  they  conscientiously  carry  out  the  declarations 
of  their  Church.  Such  an  atmosphere  of  Christlike 
pacifism  will  tend  to  cleanse  the  pulpit,  the  hymn  book, 
the  Sunday  school  and  the  church  literature  of  all 
approving  allusions  to  warfare.  If  the  church  leaders 
refuse  to  make  a  persistent,  continuous  and  consistent 
stand  against  Mars  and  Moloch,  she  will  lose  respect 
and  influence.  “  Christianity  has  become  synonymous 
with  war  in  the  far  east,”  says  Fred  B.  Smith,  the 
prominent  layman  of  New  York,  after  a  tour  through¬ 
out  the  world.  “  After  one  of  my  public  addresses  in 
India,  a  noble  native  minister  took  me  aside  and  said: 
‘  You  must  know  that  educated  people  of  this  country 
look  upon  Christianity  as  a  warring,  blood-spilling  re¬ 
ligion/  ”  Strange  in  Christian  ears  sounds  the  first 
pronouncement  of  the  Non-Christian  Student  Federa- 


THE  WAR  SYSTEM 


199 


tion  of  the  Peking  University:  “  Of  all  religions  Chris¬ 
tianity  is,  we  feel,  the  most  detestable.  One  sin  which 
Christianity  is  guilty  of  and  which  particularly  makes 
our  hair  rise  on  end  is  its  collusion  with  militarism.” 

VI.  What  Specially  Interested  Groups  May  do 
to  Destroy  the  War  System 

(1)  Parents  and  educators  should,  in  nursery  and 
kindergarten,  in  public  and  Sunday  schools,  through 
reading  matter,  pictures,  toys  and  games,  train  the  ris¬ 
ing  generation  of  both  sexes  to  believe  that  the  use 
of  brutal  force  and  violence  in  our  relations  with  our 
fellow-men  are  relics  of  barbarism,  the  gradual  sup¬ 
pression  of  which  is  to  be  considered  a  sign  of  higher 
and  progressive  civilization.  (2)  The  young  people 
of  both  sexes  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  twenty- 
five,  especially  the  students  in  our  higher  institutions 
of  learning,  should  be  encouraged  to  form  permanent 
organizations  for  discussing  ways  and  means  to  secure 
a  warless  world,  because  they  are  the  first  and  greatest 
sufferers  from  war  and  its  results.  (3)  The  various 
social  groups  of  the  working  class,  as  well  as  the 
women  and  the  war  veterans  should  make  the  elimina¬ 
tion  of  the  war  system  from  the  new  civilization  a 
prominent  and  permanent  plank  in  their  platforms. 
The  Federal  Council,  in  November,  1922,  truly  said: 
“  The  soldiers  whom  we  remember  on  Armistice  Day 
did  not  glorify  war.  They  loathed  and  hated  it.  Mul¬ 
titudes  went  forth  to  their  death  inspired  by  the  hope 
that  they  were  doing  something  to  rid  the  world  once 
for  all  of  the  horror  of  war.  To  such  men  we  bring 
a  tribute  of  real  praise  only  as  we  take  4  increased  de¬ 
votion  to  that  cause  for  which  they  gave  the  last  full 


200 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


measure  of  devotion/  In  every  church  on  Armistice 
Sunday  let  us  confess  our  sin  in  having  been  so  long 
content  with  the  method  of  competitive  armament  and 
fratricidal  strife.” 


VII.  Effective  Measures  to  Decrease  and 
Finally  Abolish  the  War  System 

(1)  A  gradual  removal  of  the  economic  barriers 
hindering  the  free  exchange  of  merchandise,  such  as 
extremely  high  tariffs  and  exclusive  spheres  of  in¬ 
fluence.  (2)  A  fairer  distribution  of  property  enabling 
the  people  to  buy  a  larger  amount  of  the  products  of 
labour,  thus  decreasing  the  chase  for  foreign  markets. 
(3)  Reduction  of  armament  to  the  lowest  possible 
figure.  Let  true  Americans  fight  valiantly  and  per¬ 
sistently  any  program  of  preparedness  on  a  large  scale, 
for  it  is  just  this  which  has  brought  many  nations  to 
grief.  For  men  who  are  in  charge  of  edged  tools  and 
bidden  to  prepare  them  for  exact  and  scientific  use, 
grow  very  impatient  if  they  are  not  permitted  to  use 
them.  (4)  Mental  and  spiritual  disarmament,  includ¬ 
ing  the  cultivation  of  a  friendly  spirit  toward  all  na¬ 
tions,  in  schools,  press,  pulpit,  platform,  and  literature ; 
discouraging  spread-eagleism  on  national  holidays, 
military  pomp,  “  army  and  navy  days,”  military  train¬ 
ing  in  the  public  schools,  games  and  organizations  of 
boys  along  military  lines.  For  if  under  the  influence 
of  some  miraculous  wave  of  enthusiasm  every  military 
power  turned  its  tanks  into  tractors  and  sank  its  ships 
in  the  deepest  seas,  but  kept  the  same  economic  and 
political  organization  and  racial  and  national  preju¬ 
dices,  there  would  yet  be  a  new  war  within  a  genera¬ 
tion  as  disastrous  as  any  of  the  past.  (5)  Make  wai; 


THE  WAR  SYSTEM 


201 


profiteering  and  the  commercialization  of  the  misfor¬ 
tunes  of  other  nations  impossible  by  making  the  manu¬ 
facture  of  munitions  a  government  monopoly  in  some 
manner.  (6)  Abolish  secret  diplomacy.  (7)  Submit 
the  question  of  declaring  war  to  the  vote  of  all  the 
people.  (8)  Establish  international  and  neutral  courts 
of  arbitration  before  which  also  charges  of  cruelty  can 
be  brought  by  both  parties  to  the  war  for  fair  trials. 
It  would  restrain  governments  and  military  leaders 
from  abusing  their  power  in  times  of  war,  if  they  were 
sure  of  being  held  personally  responsible.  Such 
courts,  however,  must  also  be  open  for  charges  by  the 
defeated  against  the  victorious  if  their  moral  influence 
is  to  count  for  anything.  (9)  Organize  nationally  and 
internationally  the  strong  anti-war  sentiment,  which 
is  on  the  increase  in  all  countries. 

Note.  The  National  Council  for  the  Reduction  of  Armaments 
reports  that  “No  More  War”  demonstrations  were  enthusiastic¬ 
ally  carried  out  July  29-30,  1922,  in  forty  states,  and  the  wide¬ 
spread  response  from  all  kinds  of  people  in  all  parts  of  the  coun¬ 
try  indicates  a  growing  interest  in  the  problem  of  how  to  rid  the 
world  of  war.  A  crusade  for  world  peace  in  cooperation  with 
Masonic  jurisdictions  of  the  United  States  and  twenty  other 
supreme  councils  of  Europe,  South  America  and  Africa  was  out¬ 
lined  at  the  Supreme  Council,  in  1922.  There  are  many  similar 
organizations. 


Not  only  the  Church  but  the  whole  American  peo¬ 
ple,  in  and  outside  of  the  churches,  must  work  out  a 
sane,  intelligent,  patriotic  and  consistent  policy  of 
vigorous  pacifism ,  unafraid  of  misunderstandings  and 
vituperations  on  the  part  of  militarists,  imperialists 
and  war-profiteers.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
pacifism  is  not  a  system  of  hard  and  fast  rules,  but 
(like  religion,  democracy  and  militarism  itself)  it  is  a 


202 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


spirit,  a  disposition,  an  atmosphere,  a  will  and  an 
effort  to  educate  the  people  to  outlaw  mass-murder  as 
a  method  of  settling  international  conflicts.  The 
source  of  genuine  pacifism  is  neither  cowardice  (for  it 
implies  a  high  type  of  valour),  nor  overfed  imperial- 
ism,  nor  hatred  of  capitalism,  nor  love  of  certain 
groups  of  nations;  but  true  religion,  genuine  patriot¬ 
ism,  love  of  humanity  and  well-understood  national 
self-interest.  The  true  pacifist  does  not  believe  in 
dispensing  with  laws,  with  police,  with  sufficient  pro¬ 
tection  against  wicked  and  .causeless  aggressions.  He 
does  not  enjoin  us  to  leave  our  shores  or  our  homes 
unprotected.  All  these  objections  rest  on  silly  mis¬ 
understandings  or  intentional  perversions  of  the  true 
nature  and  aims  of  patriotic  and  Christian  pacifism,  the 
program  of  which  on  the  contrary  is  to  make  use  of 
all  religious,  moral,  social,  diplomatic,  commercial, 
financial,  judicial  and  other  forces  to  cow  and  restrain 
by  collective  action  all  marauders  until  they  have 
learned  the  ways  of  decency.  Intelligent,  well-planned 
pacifism  is  a  quicker  and  more  effective  method  of 
settling  difficulties  than  warfare,  for  one  war  invari¬ 
ably  begets  one  or  more  similar  conflicts. 

The  one  thing  necessary  to  success  in  this  warfare 
against  war  is  perseverance.  Mars  and  Moloch  and 
their  worshippers  have  strong  lives  and  it  will  take 
generations  completely  to  overcome  them.  Don’t  get 
the  idea  that  a  single  spurt  of  disarmament  agitation 
will  do  the  work.  Sporadic  propaganda,  divided 
counsel,  lack  of  information  will  not  accomplish  it; 
only  persistent,  continuous,  strongly  organized  cam¬ 
paign  work,  as  in  the  case  of  the  abolition  of  slavery 
and  of  the  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic,  will  get 
results. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


CHRISTIANITY  AND  INTERNATIONALISM 

Parallel  Readings: 

Smith,  Fred  B.,  “  On  the  Trail  of  the  Peacemaker.” 

Walsh,  E.,  “  The  History  and  Nature  of  International  Rela¬ 
tions.” 

Marvin,  F.  S.,  “  The  Evolution  of  World-Peace.” 

Viallate,  Achille,  “  The  Economic  Factor  in  International  Re¬ 
lations.” 

Korff,  “  Russian  Foreign  Relations  During  the  East  Half 
Century.” 

Bryce,  J.,  “  International  Relations.” 

Merrill,  Pierson,  “  Christian  Internationalism.” 

Fisher,  Fred  E.,  “  India’s  Silent  Revolution.” 

Inman,  S.  G.,  “  Problems  in  Pan-Americanism.” 

Nitti  (former  Italian  Premier),  “Peaceless  Europe.” 

Wright,  Quincy,  “  Control  of  American  Foreign  Relations.” 
Turner,  John  Kenneth,  “  Shall  It  Be  Again?  ” 

Gibbs,  Phillip,  “  Now  it  can  be  Told.” 

Pettigrew,  “  Imperial  Washington.” 

Murray,  J.  L-,  “  World  Friendship.” 

Norman,  Angell,  “  The  Great  Illusion,”  197,  323,  344. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,” 
chap.  7. 

Miliukov,  Paul  N.,  “  Russia  To-day  and  To-morrow.” 

Kant,  Im.,  “  Essay  on  Perpetual  Peace.” 

Speer,  R.,  “Principles  of  Jesus.” 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Living,”  110-112,  147. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  265. 

Steiner,  E.,  “The  Trail  of  the  Immigrant.” 

Oppenheim,  E.  Ph.,  “  The  Great  Prince  Shan.” 

Burnett,  F.  H.,  “  The  Shuttle.”  (On  international  “  Money- 
marriages.”) 

Lochey,  J.,  “  Pan- Americanism.” 

203 


204 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Harrison,  F.  B.,  “  The  Corner-Stone  of  Philippine  IndepentL 
ence.” 

Russell,  B.,  “Political  Ideals,”  145-172. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  330. 

Hyde,  Chas.  C.,  “  International  Law :  Chiefly  as  Interpreted 
and  Applied  by  the  United  States.” 

Henderson,  “  Social  Duties,”  300-325. 

“  The  Church  and  Its  American  Opportunities,”  59-86. 
(Obligation  of  the  Church  to  Support  a  League  of  Nations.) 

Each  sovereign  state  is  an  integral  part  of  a  larger 
whole  and  the  mutual  dealings  of  these  independent 
states  are  known  as  their  international  relations. 
These  relations  become  closer  all  the  time.  Because 
of  the  inventions  of  machinery  and  new  methods  of 
communication  and  transportation  our  world  is  now 
about  as  large  as  was  a  good  sized  island  at  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  various  classes, 
nations  and  races  are  in  close  contact  with  each  other. 
Modern  conditions  make  good-will  and  cooperation 
necessary. 

I.  Christ  and  Internationalism 

Historical  Background.  The  weaker  nations  before 
and  in  Christ’s  time  groaned  under  the  yoke  of  Roman 
imperialism,  known  as  the  “  pax  Romana,”  and  they 
watched  every  chance  to  break  their  fetters. 

Christ’s  Teaching  and  Example.  That  Jesus  pos¬ 
sessed  an  “  international  mind  ”  and  was  a  true  cos¬ 
mopolitan  is  implied  in  the  fact  of  His  Divine  nature, 
the  conception  of  His  world-wide  mission,  in  His 
great  commission  to  the  Church  (Matt.  28:  19),  and  in 
His  example,  as  well  as  in  the  spirit  and  principles  of 
His  teachings.  His  personal  relations  to  foreigners 
were  limited.  Twice  only  Christ  spent  a  short  time  on 


CHRISTIANITY  AND  INTERNATIONALISM  205 


foreign  soil  (Matt.  2:  14;  15:  21) ;  but  in  the  inter¬ 
mixture  of  races  in  Palestine  He  must  often  have 
come  into  close  connection  with  members  of  different 
nationalities.  Several  times  Samaritans,  Romans, 
Greeks,  Syrians,  etc.,  are  mentioned  and  in  each  case 
Christ  is  showing  them  respect  and  love  (Matt.  8:  1- 
13;  John  4:  12,  13;  12:  20).  That  Christ  was  of 
Aryan  or  mixed  blood  and  that  His  wider,  international 
horizon  may  be  explained  by  His  foreign  extraction  is 
a  pure  invention,  contradicted  by  conclusive  evidence 
in  the  New  Testament. 

The  Apostles,  after  a  brief  period  of  confusion,  be¬ 
came  foreign  missionaries  with  a  world-wide  horizon. 
Paul  especially  fought  out  successfully  the  acrimo¬ 
nious  battle  of  world-wide  Christian  internationalism 
against  the  narrow  nationalism  of  Jews  and  Judaizers, 
while  John  in  Revelation  proclaims  aloud  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  God’s  kingdom  over  all  the  earth  (Acts,  chaps. 
10,  11,  15;  Gal.  1  and  2;  Revelation). 

II.  Christianizing  International  Relations 

Measured  by  the  principles  of  Christ’s  teaching,  what 
kind  of  behaviour  of  nations  and  governments  toward 
one  another  would  deserve  the  name  “  Christian  ”  ? 
(1)  The  habit  of  cultivating  an  international  mind, 
based  on  reliable  knowledge  of  other  nations  and  on 
respect  for  their  peculiarities.  This  spirit  is  opposed 
to  national  conceit  which  vaunts  its  own  virtues  and 
belittles  others,  as  well  as  to  suspicion  and  fear.  To 
suppress  this  “  private-mindedness  ”  we  must  begin 
with  the  schools.  Just  recently  the  Swedish  Minister 
of  Education  has  sent  out  to  the  teachers  of  history  a 
document  that  says,  in  part:  “  The  teaching  of  history 
must  be  planned  and  carried  out  in  such  a  way  as  to 


206 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


make  the  development  of  peaceful  culture  through  the 
centuries  its  chief  object.  The  teacher  should  take 
pains  not  to  foster  hatred  and  enmity  toward  other  na¬ 
tions,  but  keep  in  mind  that  peace  and  a  good  under¬ 
standing  among  all  nations  is  the  chief  condition  upon 
which  the  common  progress  of  humanity  depends. 
Children  must  be  made  to  feel  that  heroes  in  the  work 
of  peace  are  more  numerous  and  much  more  important 
than  war-heroes,  and  that  through  their  courage  and 
self-sacrifice  their  countries  have  been  well  served.” 
(2)  The  gradual  abolition  of  the  double  standard  of 
ethics,  and  the  application  of  the  same  ethical  princi¬ 
ples  which  govern  the  life  of  individuals  to  interna¬ 
tional  affairs  also.  Hitherto  nations  have  conducted 
their  international  relations,  not  by  morality  or  justice, 
but  by  their  sentiments  and  interest.  No  nation  has 
risen  to  the  moral  height  of  even  seriously  trying  to 
meet  other  nations  on  the  level  of  the  Golden  Rule. 
But  there  is  no  other  alternative:  we  must  accept  the 
law  of  brotherhood,  live  by  it  and  prosper  together, 
or  we  must  waste  our  energies  in  preparations  for  open 
war, — preparations  which  are  but  a  mask  for  inter¬ 
national  selfishness.  (3)  The  gradual  abandonment  of 
“  imperialism  ”  which  is  the  system  of  controlling  other 
nations  by  force,  cunning  and  bribery,  ruling  them 
without  their  consent  and  exploiting  them  for  the  ben¬ 
efit  of  the  few.  Those  are  the  truest  patriots  who 
warn  America  against  an  imperialistic  policy.  We 
have,  alas,  already  entered  upon  it  by  annexing 
Hawaii,  the  Philippines,  Porto  Rico,  and  by  exploiting 
Cuba,  Hayti,  Santo  Domingo,  Panama,  etc.,  and  the 
troubles  following  the  disease  of  imperialism  have 
begun  among  us.  No  people  can  strike  or  abuse  or 
absorb  or  rob  others  without  suffering  loss  of  vitality 


CHRISTIANITY  AND  INTERNATIONALISM  207 


in  all  of  its  manifestations.  There  is  never  injustice 
without  retribution.  Up  to  the  present  every  strong 
nation  in  history  has  been  a  curse  to  the  world.  It  is 
for  America  to  elect  now  as  to  whether  it  shall  be  a 
curse  or  a  hope  and  a  help. 

Note.  The  imperialistic  and  militaristic  groups  are  known  by 
different  names  in  the  various  countries: — in  France  it  is  “  Chau¬ 
vinism/’  from  Chauvin,  a  French  soldier,  who  had  an  exaggerated 
devotion  to  his  old  master,  Napoleon.  In  England  a  man  is 
called  a  jingo  who  is  always  bragging  about  his  country’s  pre¬ 
paredness  to  fight.  In  Germany  this  form  of  patriotism  is  known 
as  Pangermanism ;  in  Russia  it  is  called  Panslavism,  and  in  the 
United  States  it  is  labelled  “  Spreadeagleism.”  The  only  patriot¬ 
ism  which  some  men  seem  capable  of  exhibiting  is  a  contempt 
for  other  nations  and  a  glorification  of  their  own.  Let  us  agree 
that  all  such  patriotism  is  dangerous,  as  well  as  silly;  and  let 
us  face  the  problem  of  cultivating  in  the  American  people  patriot¬ 
ism  which  is  rational  and  Christian. 


III.  Characteristics  of  Internationalism 

True  internationalism  expresses  itself,  (1)  in  sin¬ 
cere  friendship  for  all  nations  and  war  alliances  with 
none.  For,  in  the  words  of  George  Washington,  “  Ex¬ 
cessive  partiality  for  one  foreign  nation,  and  excessive 
dislike  for  another,  cause  those  whom  they  actuate  to 
see  danger  only  on  one  side.”  Has  not  every  event 
since  the  World  War  was  over  demonstrated  the 
prophetic  wisdom  of  the  far-seeing  founders  of 
America,  to  keep  clear  and  clean  of  foreign  animosi¬ 
ties,  plots,  schemes,  intrigues,  and  struggles;  and  in 
place  of  a  policy  of  meddle  and  embroilment,  to  main¬ 
tain  friendly  relations  with  all  mankind  so  long  as  we 
can  do  so  with  honour.  (2)  Elimination  of  foreign 
propaganda  by  means  of  the  press,  the  platform,  the 
pulpit  and  the  school  books,  financed  either  by  foreign 


208 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


governments,  or  by  American  friends  of  foreign  na¬ 
tions,  or  by  business  and  financial  interests.  (3)  Hon¬ 
est  and  open  diplomacy.  Dishonest  conduct  of  foreign 
policy  is  to  a  large  extent  responsible  for  the  death  of 
millions  of  men  and  the  wreck  of  a  large  part  of  the 
world’s  civilization.  The  nations,  especially  our  own, 
are  aroused  against  this  dark-lantern  method.  “  Open 
covenants,  openly  arrived  at,”  was  therefore  the  first 
of  the  famous  “  Fourteen  Points”  announced  by 
President  Wilson  at  the  Versailles  Peace  Conference. 
It  means  that  the  peoples  must  know  what  their  states¬ 
men  are  doing  in  regard  to  foreign  relations,  and  also 
the  reasons  for  their  actions.  It  does  not  preclude 
private  conferences  for  better  mutual  understanding 
and  for  drafting  satisfactory  agreements,  but  it  does 
preclude  secret  bargaining  and  the  making  of  personal 
agreements  which  are  not  made  public,  much  less  the 
reasons  for  them.  Such  secret  agreements  made  the 
World  War  inevitable.  (4)  A  fairer  distribution  of 
colonies  and  commercial  advantages  according  to  real 
need.  A  few  nations  control  much  more  territory  than 
they  can  possibly  develop,  while  others  are  in  dire  need 
of  more  room,  food,  and  commercial  opportunities. 
The  world  can  easily  support  all  its  inhabitants  when 
sanely  organized;  but,  as  in  private  life,  selfishness 
constantly  interferes  with  righteous  and  peaceful  ad¬ 
justments.  (5)  The  same  is  true  of  the  “  Open-door” 
by  which  is  meant  free  access  to  all  the  markets  of  the 
world.  The  rivalries  of  great  nations  are  at  bottom 
the  rivalries  of  their  investors  who,  under  our  system 
of  landlordism  and  of  production  for  private  profit 
rather  than  for  use,  have  surplus  capital  on  hand  on 
which  they  can  get  the  largest  returns  by  investment 
in  so-called  backward  lands.  (6)  A  humane  and  just, 


CHRISTIANITY  AND  INTERNATIONALISM  209 


administration  of  colonies ,  using  them  not  for  ex¬ 
ploitation  and  self-enrichment,  but  with  a  view  to  de¬ 
veloping  the  natives.  A  “  rise  of  colour  ”  and  bloody 
racial  wars  are  predicted  unless  the  imperialistic  na¬ 
tions  change  their  policies. 

IV.  America’s  Good  Record 

Economic,  educational,  and  religious  uplift  work 
should  be  carried  on  more  than  ever  among  backward 
as  well  as  civilized  but  temporarily  downtrodden  na¬ 
tions.  America  enjoys  a  most  excellent  record  in  this 
respect.  We  have  played  the  role  of  the  Good  Samari¬ 
tan  at  different  times  in  China,  Japan,  Russia,  Italy, 
Finland,  India,  Belgium,  Austria,  Germany  and  other 
countries,  in  periods  of  general  distress,  sending  our 
troop-ships  with  foodstuffs  and  medicines,  and  they 
were  always  welcome.  Acts  of  fine  human  helpfulness 
such  as  these  do  more  to  promote  real,  lasting  good¬ 
will  between  the  peoples  of  the  earth  than  all  the  acts 
of  diplomats  and  governments.  In  this  connection  the 
tremendous  work  of  Christian  missions,  which  is 
permanent  and  not  sporadic,  should  be  highly  appre¬ 
ciated.  The  exchange  of  professors  and  students,  for¬ 
eign  scholarships,  the  study  of  foreign  languages, 
travel,  etc.,  bring  peoples  together  in  sentiment  and 
thus  promote  internationalism.  Right  sentiment  of 
this  kind  will  tend  to  create  organizations  for  the  im¬ 
provement  of  international  relations,  of  a  private  as 
well  as  of  an  official  character,  such  as  the  Women’s 
International  League  for  Peace  and  Freedom,  The  In¬ 
ternational  Labour  Congresses,  the  various  Interna¬ 
tional  Church  Councils,  and  among  the  governmental 
organizations,  the  Hague  Court  and  the  League  of 
Nations,  which  in  a  more  democratic  form  and  pro- 


210 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


tected  from  selfish  abuse  by  a  few  big  nations  may  yet 
develop  into  an  effective  agency  for  international 
friendship  and  world  peace,  especially  through  its  In¬ 
ternational  Court  of  Justice.  (“  The  Church  and  Her 
American  Opportunities,”  59-74:  “  The  Obligation  of 
the  Church  to  Support  a  League  of  Nations.”) 

Question: 

Is  permanent  world  peace  more  likely  to  come  through  a 
league  of  nations  or  through  one  state  or  a  group  of  states 
dominating  the  other  nations? 


PART  VI 


The  Kingdom  and  Our 
Economic  Systems 


CHAPTER  XXII 

PROPERTY  AND  WEALTH 

Parallel  Readings: 

Bishop  Gore  of  Oxford,  “Property:  Its  Duties  and  Rights” 
Beard,  Chas.  A.,  “  The  Economic  Basis  of  Politics.” 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  225-246,  298-301. 

Harcourt,  “  Income  of  the  U.  S.” 

Rogge,  “  Der  irdische  Besitz  im  N.  T.” 

Association  Press,  “  Christianity  and  Economic  Problems.” 
Hauck,  “  Die  Stellung  des  Urchristentums  zu  Arbeit  und  Geld.” 
Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  156-168, 
272,  324-477. 

Davis,  Wm.  Sterns,  “  The  Influence  of  Wealth  in  Imperial 
Rome.” 

Hobson,  J.,  “  The  Science  of  Wealth.” 

Fawning,  R.,  “  The  Acquisitive  Society.” 

Mathews,  S-,  “  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus,”  chap.  6. 

Vedder,  “Socialism  and  the  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  414-425. 
Henderson,  “  Social  Duties,”  154-167. 

Heuver,  “Teaching  of  Jesus  Concerning  Wealth,”  165. 

Speer,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  92-96. 

Howe,  “  Socialized  Germany.” 

Gardner,  “  The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Progress,”  187-248. 
Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  chap.  4. 
Williams,  C.  D.,  “  The  Christian  Ministry  and  Social 

Problems.” 

Brandeis,  L.  D.,  “Other  People’s  Money  and  How  the  Bank¬ 
ers  Use  If.” 

Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  VIII,  294 
(“  Ruxury  ”). 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus*  Principles  of  Living,”  chap.  6. 

Darley,  J.,  “Jesus  Our  Economic  Mediator.” 

211 


212 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Hastings,  “  Dictionary  of  Christ  and  the  Gospels,”  II,  249  and 
815. 

Vollmer,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,”  125-132. 

“Christ’s  View  of  Work  and  Wealth”  (Associated  Press, 

N.  Y.). 

Russell,  B.,  “Why  Men  Fight,”  117-152  (“Property”). 

Dixon,  F.  H.,  “  Railroads  and  Government :  Their  Relations 
in  the  United  States,  1910-1921.” 

Hugerford,  Edward,  “  Our  Railroads  To-morrow.” 

“Cry  of  Justice,”  210,  212,  396-399,  432,  698,  711,  750,  787,  827. 

Rauschenbusch,  “Prayers  of  the  Social  Awakening,”  101. 

Dickinson,  Z.  C,  “  Economic  Motives.” 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  chaps.  14  and  16. 

Walker,  “  The  Things  that  are  Caesar’s,”  1-3. 

Veblen,  “The  Leisure  Class.” 

Closely  interrelated  with  a  people’s  political  gov¬ 
ernment,  but  of  much  greater  importance  to  each  in¬ 
dividual,  is  its  economic  system ,  because  it  deals  with 
the  important  questions,  what  shall  we  eat,  what  shall 
we  drink,  wherewith  shall  we  be  clothed  and  where 
shall  we  live  ?  Everybody,  even  the  animals,  are  inter¬ 
ested  in  these  questions.  We  shall  therefore  in  this 
and  the  following  two  chapters  turn  the  light  of  the 
Gospel  on  this  all-important  subject.  The  economic 
problem  presents  three  chief  aspects:  (1)  wealth,  its 
nature  and  unfair  distribution;  (2)  its  creation  or  the 
class  struggle  between  capital  and  labour;  (3)  poverty 
as  a  natural  result  of  numbers  1  and  2. 

Note.  Wealth,  according  to  John  Stuart  Mills,  “consists  of  all 
material  things  produced  by  human  effort ;  ”  or,  as  others  define 
it,  of  all  sorts  of  valuable  things  for  satisfying  human  wants. 
It  comprises  (1)  all  kinds  of  raw  material  (land,  metals,  coal, 
oil,  gas,  water,  etc.)  ;  (2)  all  products  shaped  by  labour  into 
something  useful  (buildings,  machinery,  furniture,  clothing, 
highways,  railroads,  ships,  etc.)  ;  (3)  money,  mortgages,  stocks, 
shares,  bonds,  deeds,  etc.,  merely  represent  wealth.  The  term 


PBOPEKTY  AND  WEALTH 


213 


" property  ”  is  synonymous  with  wealth,  stressing  one  aspect  of 
it.  By  property  we  mean  an  exclusive  right  to  control  an 
economic  good.  By  private  property  we  mean  the  exclusive  right 
of  a  private  person  to  control  an  economic  good.  By  public 
property  we  mean  the  exclusive  right  of  a  political  unit  (city, 
state,  nation,  etc.)  to  control  an  economic  good. 

I.  Christ’s  Interest  in  the  Subject  of  Wealth 

1.  Historical  background.  A  very  unfair  distribu¬ 
tion  of  wealth  was  found  in  all  sections  of  the  Roman 
Empire.  Enormous  wealth  in  the  hands  of  a  few  re¬ 
sulted  in  coarse  luxury  and  immorality  too  horrible  for 
description,  while  the  mass  of  the  people  were  known 
as  the  “  proletariat,”  because  they  could  call  nothing 
their  own  except  children  (“  Proles  ”).  From  time  to 
time  agrarian  revolutions  broke  out  (Gracchi,  Sparta- 
cus).  To  prevent  such  clashes  wealthy  people  and  the 
government  distributed  corn  and  tickets  for  amuse¬ 
ments  (“panis  et  circenses  ”),  while  the  Cynic  and 
Stoic  philosophers  exhorted  the  poor  to  endure  hard¬ 
ship  with  fortitude.  In  Palestine  extreme  poverty 
reigned,  because  the  humane  Old  Testament  laws  for 
the  relief  of  poverty  were  not  enforced. 

Literature : 

Heuver,  “Teaching  of  Jesus  Concerning  Wealth;”  chaps.  I,  2, 
4  and  5,  on  the  Economic  Conditions  of  Palestine;  chap.  3,  on 
the  Humanitarian  Laws  of  the  Old  Testament. 

2.  The  amount  of  Christ's  teaching  on  wealth  is 
unusually  large.  Matthew  contains  one  hundred  and 
nine  references  to  the  subject;  Mark,  fifty-seven ;  Luke, 
ninety- four,  and  John,  eighty-eight.  Jesus  spoke  about 
five  times  as  often  on  earthly  possessions  as  on  any 
other  subject,  and  the  only  quotation  from  Jesus  out¬ 
side  of  the  Gospels  treats  of  possessions  (Acts  20:  35). 


214 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


3.  Reasons  for  Christ's  interest  in  earthly  posses¬ 
sions:  (1)  He  Himself,  His  family  and  most  of  His 
intimate  friends  belonged  to  the  dependent  class  and 
felt  the  pressure  of  the  unfair  economic  system  in 
vogue  (2  Cor.  8:  9;  Luke  9:  58;  John  19:  47;  Luke 
2:  7,  24).  (2)  The  acquirement  of  property  is  the  all- 
absorbing  ambition  of  most  men  because  under  our 
system  of  private  ownership  and  of  production  for 
profit,  instead  of  for  use,  the  possession  of  some  prop¬ 
erty  is  necessary  to  self-preservation,  which  is  the  first 
law  of  life,  and  to  the  protection  of  the  family.  Wealth 
is  power  and  opens  the  way  to  honours  and  distinction. 
(3)  The  method  employed  in  accumulating  wealth 
either  promotes  or  destroys  the  happiness  of  individ¬ 
uals,  social  groups  and  nations. 

In  spirit  and  language  Christ's  economic  teaching  is 
frequently  very  radical  (i.  e going  to  the  “  radix,”  the 
root  of  the  matter).  Most  of  these  sharp  passages  are 
found  in  Luke’s  Gospel,  as,  e.  g.,  Luke  6:  20,  24; 
18:24,  25  (Shailer  Mathews,  “Social  Teaching  of 
Jesus,”  141;  Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social 
Question,”  191-202).  To  take  off  the  edge  of  some 
of  these  uncompromising  sayings  of  Jesus  they  have 
been  interpreted  as  Oriental  exaggerations ;  or  as  “  in- 
terims-ethics  ”  for  the  brief  interval  until  the  second 
coming  of  Christ;  or  due  to  the  habit  of  great  teachers 
overemphasizing  truths  deemed  of  prime  importance, 
or  as  proof  that  Christ  was  an  Essene  or  Ebionite  re¬ 
garding  poverty  in  itself  as  an  essential  virtue;  or  due 
to  the  tendency  of  the  poor  to  judge  the  rich  with 
harshness;  or  as  case-treatment  not  generally  appli¬ 
cable;  or  as  a  proof  that  Christ  was  Utopian  in  His 
mind  and  that  His  teaching  contains  an  unworkable 
system  of  political  economy.  A  sufficient  answer  to 


PROPERTY  AND  WEALTH 


215 


all  these  artificial  interpretations  is  that  Christ  was  a 
teacher  come  directly  from  God  (John  3:  1-2)  and 
believing  this,  a  Christian  should  not  find  it  difficult 
to  hold  that  the  Lord  saw  clearly  two  thousand  years 
ago  what  humanity,  through  costly  experience,  is  just 
now  slowly  beginning  to  learn,  namely,  that  the  love 
of  money  is  a  root  of  all  evils  and  that  the  solution  of 
economic  problems  spells  love,  service,  sacrifice,  the 
Golden  Rule,  cooperation,  etc.  Why  is  it  that  espe¬ 
cially  Christians  try  so  hard  to  rob  their  Master  of  the 
credit  of  having  insisted  on  these  principles  long  before 
any  one  else  ? 

II.  Christ’s  Concrete  Teaching  on  Some 
Modern  Problems  of  Wealth 

(1)  Christ  places  character  far  above  wealth  and 
discourages  the  pursuit  of  property  as  an  aim  in  life 
(John  6:  27;  Matt.  6:  31-33).  Wealth  is  only  a  great 
thing  for  what  it  leads  to.  The  slightest  blemish  pro¬ 
duced  in  the  soul  by  the  acquisition  and  the  use  of 
wealth  is  an  incalculable  loss.  “  What  shall  a  man 
give  in  exchange  for  his  soul?  ”  No  amount  of  money 
can  pay  for  a  blot  on  character.  (2)  The  right  of 
private  ownership  of  property  is  tacitly  assumed  by 
Christ  as  may  be  inferred  from  the  parables  of  the 
Talents  and  the  Pounds,  as  well  as  the  general  tone  of 
His  teaching  (Luke  16:  12;  Matt.  20:  1-16).  Many 
of  Christ’s  friends  owned  property  (John  12:1-5; 
Matt.  8:  14;  Luke  8:3).  Never  did  Christ  discrimi¬ 
nate  against  the  rich  as  a  class,  but  associated  with  poor 
and  rich  alike.  Christ’s  example  suggests  therefore 
that  we  should  avoid  harsh  denunciation  of  the  wealthy 
as  a  class,  because  the  economic  maladjustment  is  due 
to  a  wrong  system  rather  than  to  the  ill  will  of  in- 


216 


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dividuals.  There  have  always  been  rich  people  of 
noble  disposition  and  true  philanthropic  practice.  It 
is  true  that  Christ  and  His  disciples  as  well  as  the 
Church  in  Jerusalem  practiced  a  primitive  sort  of  com¬ 
munism  (John  12:  6;  Acts  2:  4T-45;  4:  34-35) ;  but 
their  communism  was  local,  voluntary,  occasional,  tem¬ 
porary  and  not  quite  successful  (Acts  5:  14;  2  Thess. 
3 :  7-12 ;  Eph.  4:  28 ;  2  Cor.,  chaps.  8  and  9) .  All  this, 
however,  does  not  imply  that  Christ  means  to  stamp 
our  present  form  of  ownership  as  the  only  “  Christian  ” 
way.  Any  form  of  controlling  property  which  is  based 
on  the  three  great  principles  of  God’s  kingdom,  the  law 
of  love,  of  service  and  of  sacrifice  would  be  well  pleas¬ 
ing  to  our  King.  To  identify  Christianity  with  any 
definite  form  of  government  or  control  of  wealth  has 
worked  great  injury  to  the  real  essence  of  Christ’s 
true  religion. 

Note.  Tribal  communism  is  the  earliest  social  order  of  which 
there  is  any  definite  record.  Partial  communism  is  practiced 
more  or  less  by  all  nations  in  the  form  of  national,  state,  or 
municipal  ownership  and  control  of  public  utilities,  schools, 
libraries,  the  postal  system,  etc.  Religious  communism  has  never 
completely  died  out  (Hutterites  in  So.  Dakota).  Socialism 
advocates  a  mixed  system  of  ownership  based  on  the  principle 
that  whatever  is  individually  used  should  be  individually  owned 
(clothing,  ornaments)  ;  what  is  used  by  the  family  should  be 
owned  by  the  family  (home,  furniture)  ;  what  is  used  by  the 
community  should  be  owned  by  the  community  (public  utilities, 
libraries,  schools)  ;  what  is  used  by  a  state  or  the  entire  nation 
should  be  owned  by  them  (coal,  railroads,  raw  materials,  etc.). 

Question: 

Report  on  some  social  or  communistic  experiments  in  modern 
times. 

(3)  Private  ownership  of  property  however  is  lim¬ 
ited  according  to  Christ’s  teaching  on  the  stewardship 


PROPERTY  AND  WEALTH 


217 


of  all  possessions  (Luke  12:  42;  16:  1-8;  Parables  of 
the  Talents  and  the  Pounds).  Men  hold  their  smaller 
or  larger  amounts  of  property  as  trust  funds  given  to 
them  from  God,  the  real  owner,  to  be  administered  for 
the  common  benefit  of  all  of  God’s  children.  Those 
therefore  who  have  been  made  owners  of  property  by 
man-  or  class-made  laws  must  be  constantly  reminded 
by  the  Church  that  they  manage  property  which  be¬ 
longs  to  others.  The  maladministration  of  these 
trustees,  manifested  in  the  grossly  unfair  distribution 
of  opportunities  and  the  necessaries  of  life,  has  aroused 
untold  millions  of  “  the  disinherited  ”  to  demand  a 
fairer  share  of  the  immense  wealth  which  God’s  love 
and  man’s  labour  have  put  at  the  disposal  of  America. 
This  demand  is  based  on  the  facts,  (1)  that  God  recog¬ 
nizes  neither  stepchildren  nor  favourites  and  (2)  that 
wealth  is  a  social  product,  produced  by  the  cooperation 
of  all  working  together.  A  more  equitable  (not  equal) 
distribution  may  be  brought  about  by  some  kind  of 
nationalization,  or  cooperation,  or  by  higher  wages  and 
fairer  prices,  or  by  laws  of  protection  in  all  vicissitudes 
of  life.  This  principle  of  the  stewardship  of  our 
earthly  goods  lies  back  of  all  the  political,  economical 
and  social  teaching  of  the  entire  Bible.  “  The  land  is 
mine,”  says  Jehovah,  “  and  you  are  only  temporary 
occupants  thereof.”  “  The  earth  is  the  Lord’s  and  the 
fulness  thereof”  (Ps.  24:  1).  Even  the  most  pluto¬ 
cratic  governments  have  always  recognized  the  prin¬ 
ciple  that  private  property  is  maintained  for  social 
purposes.  If  therefore  the  rights  of  private  property 
in  any  way  conflict  with  social  interests,  these  rights 
must  be  changed  or  even  abolished.  On  this  principle 
rest  all  our  laws  of  regulation  and  taxation  which  in 
some  cases  amount  to  partial  and  in  others  even  to 


218 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


complete  confiscation.  (Abolition  of  slavery,  prohibi¬ 
tion  of  the  liquor  traffic  without  compensation.) 

Note  i.  That  God’s  rich  gifts  to  America,  meant  for  all  her 
people,  are  wofully  mismanaged  appears  from  the  United  States 
census  (not  from  radical  propaganda)  which  shows  that  the  vast 
wealth  of  America  has  been  cornered  by  a  few  men  (Vedder, 
“The  Gospel  of  Jesus,”  57).  In  1915  two  per  cent,  of  the 
population  of  the  United  States  owned  sixty  per  cent,  of  the 
wealth,  thirty-three  per  cent,  owned  thirty-five  per  cent,  of  the 
wealth,  and  the  remaining  sixty-five  per  cent,  owned  but  five  per 
cent,  of  the  wealth. 

Note  2.  According  to  the  same  census,  the  drift  toward  land 
monopoly  is  very  strong.  Of  individuals,  D.  C.  Murphy,  New 
York,  left  4,000,000  acres  behind;  U.  S.  Senator  Farwell  of 
Illinois,  owns  3,000,000,  and  H.  Miller  of  California,  over  22,- 
500  square  miles.  Up  to  1896  our  government  gave  266,000,000 
acres  of  land  to  the  railroad  promoters.  The  Northern  Pacific 
alone  received  a  grant  of  48,000,000  acres.  Here  are  a  few  other 
landlords:  Lumber  Trust,  30,000,000  acres;  Standard  Oil, 
1,000,000  acres;  Leather  Trust,  500,000  acres;  Steel  Trust  value 
$60,000,000.  Even  foreign  landlords  have  been  encouraged  to 
take  as  much  of  our  land  as  they  desired:  Earl  of  Cleveland, 
106,650  acres;  Duke  of  Devonshire,  148,625  acres;  Duke  of 
Northumberland,  191,460  acres;  Byron  H.  Evans,  700,000  acres; 
Duke  of  Sutherland,  422,000  acres ;  Robert  Tenant,  530,000  acres ; 
W.  Whaley,  M.  P.,  310,000  acres ;  Mr.  Ellerhousen,  600,000  acres ; 
Baron  Tweedale,  1,000,700  acres.  In  1896  six  foreign  land 
companies  owned  26,000,000  acres  of  this  country,  or  enough  to 
give  140,000  homesteads  of  160  acres  each.  There  is  enough 
land  for  ten  times  the  population  we  have,  but  it  happens  that 
too  much  of  it  belongs  to  the  fellow  who  farms  the  farmer 
instead  of  the  farmer  who  farms  the  farm. 

Note  3.  Some  policies  proposed  to  insure  a  more  Christlike 
distribution  of  God’s  gifts;  (1)  Graduated  tax  on  land  in  excess 
of  the  homestead  with  the  aim  of  limiting  accumulation  of  land 
(Oklahoma  and  England).  (2)  Unearned  increment  taxes  on 
land.  (3)  National  ownership  of  all  sub-soil  raw  materials 
(coal,  ore,  gas),  and  other  natural  resources  (forests,  water¬ 
power).  (4)  Popular  control  of  natural  monopolies  and  public 


PROPERTY  AND  WEALTH 


219 


utilities  (railroads,  street  cars,  light,  heat  and  water  plants, 
telegraph,  and  telephone,  etc.).  In  all  cases  of  socialization  the 
management  should  by  all  means  be  vested  in  the  people  through 
Boards  composed  of  former  owners,  the  labourers  and  the  con¬ 
sumers  and  in  no  case  in  the  political  government,  that  is,  the 
politicians  and  their  henchmen.  (5)  Limitation  by  law  of  the 
amount  of  wealth  an  individual  may  own,  by  means  of 
graduated  income  and  inheritance  taxes  bearing  heaviest  on  large 
fortunes  as  well  as  by  “capital  levies”  for  special  needs  (war, 
famine).  (6)  Prohibition  of  all  business  transactions  which  are 
not  bona  fide  purchases  but  merely  speculative  gambling  in  the 
necessaries  of  life.  (7)  Heavy  penalties  for  cornering  the  food 
market  or  for  destroying  large  quantities  of  food  for  the  purpose 
of  forcing  higher  prices,  as  well  as  for  all  extortioners  and  prof¬ 
iteers.  (8)  Cooperative  production,  buying  and  selling.  (9) 
Organization  of  new  municipal,  state  and  national  parties  on  a 
politico-economic  basis  by  the  bulk  of  the  people  against  the 
class-conscious  parties  at  present  in  the  field. 

Questions: 

Should  individuals  or  society  be  the  trustee  of  God’s  gifts 
meant  for  all? 

What  did  Proudbon  mean  when  he  said,  “Property  is  theft”? 

III.  The  Perils  of  Wealth 

Christ,  like  all  great  men  and  good  women,  has  often 
and  plainly  warned  His  followers  against  the  degrad¬ 
ing  influence  of  wealth  upon  individuals,  social  groups 
and  entire  nations. 

1.  The  following  are  some  of  the  dangers  of  the 
pursuit  of  wealth:  (1)  it  tends  to  monopolize  a  dis¬ 
proportionate  amount  of  time  and  strength  for  that 
part  of  life  which  is  transitory  (Luke  16:  1-13;  Luke 
14:  18-20).  (2)  Thus  it  is  apt  to  stunt,  shrivel  and 

brutalize  the  finer  feelings  in  man.  Many  lose  even  the 
ability  to  enjoy  the  ideal  things  of  life,  such  as  litera¬ 
ture,  nature,  art,  music,  travel,  vacations,  etc.  In  the 
words  of  “  The  Deserted  Village 


220 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


“  Ill  fares  the  land,  to  hastening  ills  a  prey, 

Where  wealth  accumulates,  and  men  decay/* 

(3)  Great  possessions  often  deaden  in  man  the  feel¬ 
ing  of  dependence  upon  God  and  thus  become  a  rival 
to  God  and  spiritual  religion  (Matt.  6:24;  13:22; 
19:23-26;  Luke  12:13-21;  Vedder,  “Gospel  of 
Jesus,”  22-23).  (4)  It  interferes  with  the  develop - 

ment  of  the  social  virtues  of  love,  generosity,  kindness 
and  mercy,  while  it  tends  to  nourish  the  corresponding 
social  vices  of  covetousness,  envy,  jealousy,  indiffer¬ 
ence,  self-indulgence,  injustice,  cut-throat  competition, 
false  advertising,  and  corruption  of  the  government. 
Wealth  is  apt  to  blur  the  eye  of  conscience  and  to  act 
like  a  narcotic  soul-poison  (Matt.  6:  19-34;  Luke 
16:  1-31). 

2.  The  undue  pursuit  of  wealth  is  a  danger  to  all 
social  classes.  (1)  To  the  poor  who  regards  himself 
as  disinherited  and  becomes  an  enemy  of  society,  hold¬ 
ing  the  possession  of  great  wealth  responsible  for  his 
stunted  mind,  the  slums  and  sweat-shops,  the  diseases 
and  immoralities  so  prevalent  all  over  the  world.  (2) 
The  dangers  of  great  wealth  to  the  rich  consist  in  the 
tendency  toward  laziness,  coarse  luxury,  lowering  of 
family  ethics  and  loose  sex  morality.  (3)  All  these 
evils  mentioned  retard  also  the  mental  and  moral  de¬ 
velopment  of  nations  as  a  whole.  For  unfair  distri¬ 
bution  of  wealth  is  a  divisive,  unsocial  force,  separating 
society  into  hostile  camps,  often  leading  to  bloody 
revolutions. 

Note.  Proudhon  said:  “Monarchies  are  destroyed  by  poverty, 
and  republics  by  wealth,”  while  Daniel  Webster  asserts  “  that  the 
form  of  government  is  determined  by  the  nature  and  distribu¬ 
tion  of  property,  that  republican  government  rests  upon  a  wide 
distribution  of  property,  particularly  in  land,  that  property,  to  be 


PROPERTY  AND  WEALTH 


221 


secure,  must  have  direct  interest,  representation,  and  check  in 
government,  that  universal  suffrage  is  incompatible  with  great 
inequality  of  wealth,  and  that  political  wisdom  requires  the 
establishment  of  government  on  property.” 

3.  How  may  the  undue  love  of  money  he 
quenched ?  (1)  By  cultivating  higher  ideals;  (2)  by 

simplicity  of  civilization;  (3)  by  heaping  up  treasures 
for  the  world  to  come. 

IV.  The  Legitimate  Uses  of  Wealth 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  217-224. 

Wealth,  in  large  and  small  quantities,  may  be  used 
in  an  altruistic  spirit  in  many  directions. 

(1)  For  carrying  on  business  (Luke  19:  13).  He 
who  enables  men  to  earn  their  own  living  is  a  greater 
benefactor  than  the  one  who  dispenses  charity.  The 
only  justification  for  large  wealth  in  the  hands  of  a 
few  is  its  use  for  service  to  society.  No  person  can 
really  earn  a  very  large  sum  without  the  cooperation 
of  many  other  hands  and  minds,  and  hence  the  capital¬ 
ist  is  to  consider  himself  only  the  trustee  of  what  really 
belongs  to  society.  There  must  indeed  be  “  captains 
of  industry,”  and  Matthew  25 :  27  seems  to  suggest  the 
valuable  lesson  that  timid  souls,  unfitted  for  bold  and 
independent  service,  or  if  their  possessions  are  small, 
may  link  their  incapacity  to  the  capacity  and  sagacity 
of  others  who  will  make  their  gifts  and  possessions  of 
use  to  the  owner  and  to  society  at  large  through  hon¬ 
estly  regulated  corporations. 

(2)  Another  right  use  of  money  is  for  personal  en¬ 
joyment  and  the  higher  aesthetic  pleasures  of  life 
(Matt.  6:26,  28;  Luke  7:44-47;  Matt.  22:1-14; 
25:  1-14;  26:  10-13;  John  2:  1-11).  Christ  by  pre- 


222 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


cept  and  practice  discouraged  the  ascetic  conception  of 
life.  He  mentions  music,  flowers,  feasts,  and  other 
joys  of  life  with  approbation,  and  evinced  real  pleasure 
at  being  anointed. 

(3)  Some  money  should  be  saved  for  “  a  rainy  day” 
by  investing  it  in  some  honest  way,  including  life  in¬ 
surance.  The  habit  of  saving  lays  the  foundation  for 
independence  of  self  and  family  and  enables  one  to 
assist  others  in  need.  Only  in  small  circles  has 
mendicancy  been  regarded  as  a  sign  of  special  holiness. 
Christ  regarded  thrift  as  a  virtue  and  squandering  as 
a  wrong  (Luke  15:  13;  16:  19;  John  6:  12). 

(4)  A  proportionate  amount  of  our  wealth  should 
be  invested  in  deeds  of  love  and  thus  serve  as  a  peren¬ 
nial  source  of  joy,  happiness  and  satisfaction  here  and 
hereafter,  bearing  interest  at  both  places  (Luke  6:  35, 
38 ;  16 :  9 ;  Acts  20 :  35 ;  2  Cor.  8  and  9 ) .  In  this  way 
money  may  be  coined  into  Bibles ,  churches,  books, 
tracts,  and  even  souls  of  men.  Thus  what  was  ma¬ 
terial  and  temporal  becomes  immaterial,  spiritual,  and 
eternal ;  money  thus  becomes  condensed  love  and  power 
for  good.  Also  our  “  Last  Will  ”  should  bear  testi¬ 
mony  of  a  desire  to  do  good  even  after  death.  Billions 
of  trust  funds,  in  many  cases  the  names  of  the  de¬ 
parted  donors  attached  to  them,  stand  as  monuments 
of  love  to  God  and  mankind. 

V.  The  Apostolic  Teaching  on  Wealth 

The  Church  in  Jerusalem  intended  to  avoid  the  perils 
of  private  wealth  by  instituting  a  primitive  sort  of 
communism  (Acts  2:  44-45;  4:  32). 

James  comforts  the  poor  (2:  4-13)  and  in  severe 
terms  attacks  the  malefactors  of  great  wealth  (5:  1-6). 


PROPERTY  AKD  WEALTH 


223 


The  basis  of  his  teaching  is  the  principle  of  the  stew¬ 
ardship  of  possessions. 

Paul  stresses  very  decisively  the  principle  of  stew¬ 
ardship  (2  Cor.  9:  7-12).  He  urges  systematic  be¬ 
nevolence  (2  Cor.  8  and  9)  and  has  anticipated  our 
weekly  envelope  system  by  1,900  years  (1  Cor.  16:  2). 
According  to  2  Thessalonians  3:  10,  men  should  eat 
bread  earned,  not  begged  or  inherited,  or  stolen.  In 
theory  most  Christians  realize  Paul’s  warning, 
“  Money  (or  wealth)  is  a  root  of  all  evil,”  but  in  prac¬ 
tice  we  all  more  or  less  sedulously  dig  for  this  root 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


CAPITAL  AND  LABOUR 

Parallel  Readings: 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  chap.  6. 
Vedder,  “  The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democ¬ 
racy,”  57,  321. 

Maciver,  R.  M.,  “  Eabour  and  the  Changing  World.” 

Page,  K.,  “  Collective  Bargaining,”  and  “  Morals  in  Modern 
Business.” 

Holson,  J.  A.,  “  Evolution  of  Modern  Capitalism.” 

Tarbell,  M.,  “New  Ideals  in  Business.” 

Webb,  Sidney  and  Beatrice,  “  The  Consumer’s  Cooperative 
Movement.” 

Williams,  C.,  “  The  Christian  Ministry  and  Social  Problems,” 
chaps.  2  and  3. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,”  133- 
*39- 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  227-234. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  31 1-323. 
Henderson,  “  Social  Duties,”  94-114,  241-276. 

Pound,  Arthur,  “  The  Iron  Man  in  Industry.” 

Chenery,  Wm.  E.,  “  Industry  and  Human  Welfare.” 

Russell,  B.,  “  Proposed  Roads  to  Freedom.” 

Russell,  B.,  “  Political  Ideals,”  39-102. 

Veblen,  Th.,  “  Theory  of  the  Leisure  Class.” 

Davies,  E.,  “  The  Collective  State  in  the  Making.” 

Seller,  “The  Next  Step  in  Democracy.” 

Lowe,  B.  E.,  “  The  International  Protection  of  Labour.” 
Desmond,  Shaw,  “  Labour,  the  Giant  with  the  Feet  of  Clay.” 
Zimand,  “  Modern  Social  Movements.” 

Bliss,  “New  Encyclopaedia  of  Social  Reform,”  on  “Public 
Utilities,”  “  Profit-sharing,”  “  Industrial  Insurance,”  “  Old  Age 
Pension,”  “Unemployment,”  “American  Federation  of  Labour.” 

224 


CAPITAL  AND  LABOUR 


225 


Hastings,  “Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  III,  776;  V, 
297. 

“Cry  of  Justice,”  27,  51,  53,  59,  129,  1 33,  252,  258,  783,  788, 
795,  796,  797,  812,  813,  860,  861. 

Abbott,  L,.,  “Christianity  and  Social  Progress,”  66-137;  225- 
268  (Settlement  of  Controversies). 

Harris,  “  Cooperation  the  Hope  of  the  Consumer.” 

Speer,  R.,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  149. 

Webb,  “  History  of  Trade  Unionism.” 

Reeve,  Sidney  A.,  “  Modern  Economic  Tendencies.” 

Ward,  Harry  F.,  “The  New  Social  Order:  Principles  and 
Programs.” 

Huggins,  W.  L.,  “  Eabour  and  Democracy.” 

Hillquit,  “  Socialism  Summed  Up.” 

Johns,  Alfred  Raymond,  “Socialism:  Its  Strength,  Weakness, 
Problems,  and  Future.” 

“Socialism,”  in  New  Schaff-Herzog  Encycl.,  vol.  10;  in  Jewish 
Encycl.,  vol.  11 ;  in  Cathol.  Encycl.,  vol.  14;  Hastings,  “  Dictionary 
of  Christ  and  the  Gospels,”  II,  643. 

Vedder,  “  Socialism  and  the  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  1-333. 

Schaeffle,  “The  Quintessence  of  Socialism.” 

Schaeffle,  “  The  Impossibility  of  Socialism.” 

Bloomfield,  “  Labour  Maintenance.” 

Williams,  A.,  “  Copartnership  and  Profit-sharing.” 

Scudder,  V.,  “  Socialism  and  Character.” 

Walling,  W.,  “State  Socialism”  (Pro  and  Con). 

Jenks,  J.  W.,  “  Governmental  Action  for  Social  Welfare.” 
Kautsky,  K.,  “  The  Class  Struggle.” 

Rockefeller,  John,  Jr.,  “  Representation  in  Industry.” 
Rockefeller,  J.,  Jr.,  “Brotherhood  of  Men  and  Nations.” 
Richter,  Eng.,  “  Demokratische  Zukunftsbilder.” 

Brooks,  J.  G.,  “  American  Socialism.” 

Withers,  H.,  “  The  Case  of  Capitalism.” 

Marx,  K.,  “  Value,  Price  and  Profit.” 

Marx — Engel,  “  Communistic  Manifesto.” 

Engels,  F.,  “  Socialism,  Utopian  and  Scientific.” 

Grenell,  J.,  "  The  Single  Tax,”  and  “  Constitutionalism  in  In¬ 
dustry.” 

Finney,  Ross  L-,  “  Causes  and  Cures  for  Social  Unrest.” 

“  The  Steel  Strike  of  1919,”  and  “  Public  Opinion  and  the  Steel 
Strike.” 


226 


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“  Phrase-Book  ”  on  definitions  of  terms  like  “  unearned  incre¬ 
ment,”  “  class-struggle,”  “  economic  determinism,”  “  red  flag,”  etc. 

Miljukov,  “  Bolshevism  an  International  Danger.” 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  15. 

Turmiss,  “The  Position  of  the  Labourer  in  a  System  of  Na¬ 
tionalism.” 

Kei'lor,  “  Out  of  Work.” 

Metcalf,  Maynard  M.,  “  Biology  and  Industry.” 

Williams,  James  Mickel,  “Principles  of  Social  Psychology.” 

Carpenter,  Niles,  “  Guild  Socialism.” 

Bonnett,  “  Employers’  Associations  in  the  United  States.” 

Johnsen,  Julia  E.,  “  Social  Insurance.” 

Watkins,  Gordon  S.,  “An  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Labour 
Problems.” 

Conant,  Luther,  Jr.,  “A  Critical  Analysis  of  Industrial  Pension 
Systems.” 

Savage,  Marion,  Dutton,  “  Industrial  Unionism  in  America.” 

“A  Catechism  of  the  Social  Question”  (Paulist  Press,  N.  Y.). 

Lanck,  “  Conditions  of  Labour  in  American  Industries.” 

King,  “  Wealth  and  Income  of  the  People  of  the  U.  S.” 

Preuss,  “  The  Fundamental  Fallacy  of  Socialism.” 

The  second  aspect  of  economics  treats  of  our  system 
of  producing  wealth ,  or  the  relation  between  capital 
and  labour. 

Note.  Definition  of  terms.—  (1)  The  economic  system  of  pro¬ 
duction  and  distribution  under  which  we  live  is  known  as  “  the 
competitive,”  or  “  the  profit,”  or  “  the  capitalistic  system.”  (2) 
Capital  is  that  part  of  wealth  which  is  devoted  to  the  production 
of  more  wealth,  such  as  land  and  all  raw  materials,  factories, 
tools,  etc.  Money,  checks,  stocks,  mortgages,  etc.,  only  represent 
capital  or  measure  its  comparative  value.  (3)  Private  Capitalism 
is  that  astern  of  production  under  which  most  of  the  capital,  be 
the  amount  large  or  small,  is  owned  by  individuals  or  corpora¬ 
tions.  (4)  Socialism  is  a  theory  of  production  under  which  the 
capital  would  be  controlled  by  the  state  or  other  democratic 
organizations.  (5)  By  “labour”  is  meant  the  people  hired  by 
the  owners  of  the  capital  for  producing  wealth  in  whatever 
capacity. 


CAPITAL  AND  LABOUR 


227 


I.  Historical  Background 

1.  Throughout  the  Roman  Empire,  especially  in 
the  larger  cities,  there  lived  a  fairly  prosperous  middle 
class,  the  “  bourgeoisie.”  Most  of  them  were  trades¬ 
people,  and  peace,  order  and  good  roads  encouraged 
commerce.  Their  number,  however,  was  small;  in 
Rome  there  were  only  about  2,000  proprietors.  The 
real  work  was  done  by  the  “  free  ”  labourers  and  the 
slaves.  Of  the  120  million  inhabitants  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  about  sixty  million  were  slaves,  many  of  them 
skilled  working  men,  tradespeople  and  educators. 
Slaves  were  frequently  liberated  (Acts  6:9),  and  these 
then  swelled  the  numbers  of  the  “  proletariat,”  called 
by  this  name  because  they  owned  nothing  but  children 
(“proles”).  Occasionally  these  classes  resorted  to 
revolution.  Palestine  was  an  agricultural  country  with 
a  few  home  industries.  Among  the  Jews  we  find  three 
classes  of  labourers:  slaves,  day-labourers  and  perma¬ 
nent  house-servants. 

2.  Jesus’  Qualifications  to  Speak  on  Labour. 
Christ’s  teaching  on  the  labour  question,  though  mostly 
indirect,  is  very  incisive  and  very  much  to  the  point. 
He  was  fully  qualified  to  understand  our  vexatious 
economic  problems,  for  He  Himself  was  a  skilled 
mechanic,  a  small  farmer  and  possibly  an  employer 
on  a  small  scale.  His  brothers  and  Apostles  also  be¬ 
longed  to  the  labouring  class.  In  His  home  town, 
Capernaum,  and  on  His  constant  travels  He  met  all 
classes  of  business  men.  And  last,  but  not  least,  Jesus 
was  a  teacher  with  divine  insight  into  the  affairs  of 
men  and  an  idealist  of  first-class,  practical  qualities. 
All  this  explains  why  Christ’s  social  principles,  though 
He  had  never  seen  a  modem  machine,  have  exerted 


228 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


such  a  tremendous  influence  for  good  whenever  put  to 
practice,  and  why  to-day  millions  of  the  most  intelli¬ 
gent  people  are  firmly  convinced  that  Christ’s  spirit 
and  principles  contain  the  only  practical  solution  of  the 
vexed  social  problems  of  modern  times.  For  we  must 
not  overlook  the  teaching  of  history  that  it  was  our 
great  intellects,  our  real  thinkers,  our  idealists,  our 
noble  characters,  our  prophets,  poets  and  reformers, 
the  men  gifted  to  see  things,  rather  than  the  mere 
“  practical  ”  men  of  affairs  that  have  in  all  ages  in¬ 
spired  and  directed  the  great  progressive  movements 
in  Church,  state,  society  and  even  in  economics.  (Cite 
examples. ) 

II.  Christ’s  Teaching  on  the  Rights  of  the 

Working  Man 

(1)  Foremost  among  the  inherent  rights  of  the 
working  man  is  his  right  to  be  treated  with  becoming 
respect.  In  this  Christ  set  us  all  a  shining  example, 
expressing  His  profound  esteem  for  the  labouring 
class  by  becoming  incarnated  in  a  plain  working  man, 
instead  of  a  king  or  a  philosopher;  by  selecting  His 
Apostles  from  the  working  class  and  by  speaking  with 
uniform  respect  of  labour  and  the  labourer  (sower, 
merchant,  shepherd),  while  Fie  sharply  rebuked  idle¬ 
ness.  He  wants  the  labouring  man  considered  as  a 
personality ,  like  anybody  else,  as  an  end  rather  than 
as  a  means  to  the  ends  of  others.  In  other  words,  ac¬ 
cording  to  Christ,  “  human  life  is  possessed  of  a  pe¬ 
culiar  sacredness,  not  always  discernible,  seldom  to  be 
established  by  argument,  perhaps  never  to  be  ration¬ 
alized  on  the  basis  of  purely  biological  considerations, 
but  nevertheless  real,  because  of  the  possibilities  of 
spiritual  development  inherent  in  the  lowliest  members 


CAPITAL  AND  LABOUR 


229 


of  the  race.”  To  treat  labourers  like  slaves,  or  mere 
“  hands  ”  and  cogs  in  the  machinery  of  production  is 
a  brutality  which  will  sometime  avenge  itself  unless 
remedied. 

(2)  The  right  to  organize  for  self-protection  and 
for  economic,  intellectual  and  moral  advancement  of 
himself  and  his  family.  This  right  is  very  essential, 
for  individually  the  working  man  is  helpless  against 
the  employer-class  which  itself  is  strongly  organized 
and  through  the  natural  operation  of  economic  laws 
controls  also  the  political  government  (Kipling  on  the 
“  Jungle-Law,”  in  Rauschenbusch’s  “  Christianity  and 
the  Social  Crisis,”  328). 

Note.  The  principle  lying  back  of  the  Labour  Union  is  cer¬ 
tainly  sound;  the  practice,  however,  has  occasionally  exposed  the 
labour  leaders  to  well-deserved  criticism.  The  union  has  often 
been  only  another  form  of  autocracy,  oppressing  the  non-union 
men  and  the  general  public.  If  we  must  continue  to  live  under 
class-government  we  would  rather  be  “bossed”  by  intelligent, 
responsible  capitalists,  than  by  labour  leaders.  Our  ideal,  how~ 
ever,  should  be  a  fair  deal  for  all  the  people  in  this  great  country 
of  ours. 

(3)  The  right  to  a  share  in  the  control  of  the  work 
he  is  engaged  in.  John  D.  Rockefeller,  Jr.,  has  put 
the  matter  well:  “  Surely  it  is  not  consistent  for  us  as 
Americans  to  demand  democracy  in  government  and 
practice  autocracy  in  industry.”  Every  worker  should 
be  given  an  opportunity  to  enter  into  the  more  diffi¬ 
cult  and  the  more  stimulating  problems  of  the  industry. 
This  system  of  management  by  a  more  intimate  as¬ 
sociation  of  the  three  groups:  Capital,  Management 
and  Labour,  is  being  slowly  introduced  in  some  places 
and  is  already  making  for  a  better  understanding  of 
the  needs,  the  desires  and  the  ideals  of  each  group, 
and  hence  for  more  efficiency. 


230 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


(4)  The  right  of  every  person- — also  the  less  effi¬ 
cient  and  the  aged — -to  earn  a  living .  Society,  indeed, 
owes  every  person  a  living  in  the  sense  that  its  eco¬ 
nomic  system  must  be  so  humanized  and  Christianized 
as  to  give  everybody  a  chance  to  work.  This  demand 
rests  on  a  clear  inference  from  Christ’s  teaching  on  the 
fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of  man,  from 
His  rebuke  of  idleness,  from  the  idea  of  Divine  owner¬ 
ship  of  all  wealth  and  from  the  physical,  psychical  and 
moral  experience  that  useful  work  is  necessary  for  the 
development  of  a  normal  life. 

Note.  Unemployment,  the  fear  of  “losing  the  job,”  is  perhaps 
the  most  prolific  source  of  misery  in  the  world  to-day.  European 
countries  are  spending  billions  to  relieve  unemployment,  the 
motive  being  fear  of  revolution.  Methods  must  be  found  to 
remedy  this  condition  of  modern  industry,  but  from  humane 
motives. 

Question : 

How  can  the  obligation  of  society  to  those  who  are  ready  to 
work  be  practically  met? 

(5)  The  right  to  equal  opportunities  according  to 
gifts  and  talents.  The  chief  places  in  life  do  not  al¬ 
ways  go  to  those  who  most  deserve  them,  but  often 
to  those  who  are  incapable  of  filling  them  to  the  best 
advantage  to  society.  (Give  illustrations.)  But  a 
new  sense  of  social  justice  is  struggling  for  birth  in  the 
world,  demanding  that  men  must  have  an  equal  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  showing  what  is  in  them  and  a  fair  share  in 
the  rewards.  (On  the  “  Leisure  Class,”  in  Vedder, 
“  The  Gospel  of  Jesus,”  74.) 

(6)  The  right  to  a  living  wage ,  according  to  the 
standard  of  Christian  and  American  civilization  and 
commensurate  to  the  purchasing  power  of  money. 
“  The  labourer  is  worthy  of  his  hire.”  Matthew  20:  1- 


CAPITAL  AND  LABOUR 


231 


16  suggests  that  wages,  if  not  equal,  should  at  least  be 
commensurate  to  need,  irrespective  of  the  amount  of 
work;  while  Matthew  25:  23,  29  concedes  differences 
in  rewards  according  to  efficiency.  Besides  reward  in 
money,  Christ  suggests  recognition  and  praise  as  an 
encouragement  to  faithful  work  (“  Well  done  ”). 

Note  i.  Our  present  industrial  order,  based  on  the  profit,  in¬ 
stead  of  the  service  system,  is  far  from  functioning  on  this 
equitable  basis.  Of  the  net  product  of  industry,  after  deducting 
the  cost  of  materials,  seventy  per  cent,  goes  to  wage  and  salary 
earners,  and  thirty  per  cent,  to  the  receivers  of  rent,  interest  and 
profits.  That  is,  thirty  cents  out  of  every  dollar  earned  goes  to 
pay  for  the  use  of  capital.  Taking  sixty-one  billions  as  the 
amount  of  income  in  the  United  States  in  1918,  it  is  seen  that 
there  was  enough  to  give  $2,900  to  each  of  the  twenty-one 
million  families  which  is  decidedly  better  than  what  we  are 
accustomed  to  call  a  middle-class  standard  of  living — somewhere 
between  $2,000  and  $2,500.  But  only  a  small  minority  receive 
this  amount.  For  example:  Within  the  limits  of  New  York  City 
825,056  persons  work  in  32,590  factories  producing  articles  valued 
at  $5,260,707,577  in  a  year.  The  average  amount  which  each 
wage  earner  added  to  the  value  of  the  product  in  the  course  of 
its  manufacture  was  $3,756.15  in  1919  and  his  pay  was  $1,261.51. 
The  pay  had  increased  107  per  cent,  since  1914,  but  the  value  of 
the  product  had  increased  130  per  cent— The  above  figures  show 
that  industry  yields  an  enormous  surplus,  and  it  is  the  fair  divi¬ 
sion  of  this  surplus  which  constitutes  the  heart  of  the  “social 
question.” 

N ote  2.  The  three  laws  of  God’s  kingdom  certainly  condemn 
an  industrial  system  as  inhuman,  which  compels  a  very  large 
proportion  of  its  workers  to  maintain  themselves  on  an  income 
which  does  not  afford  a  basis  for  decent  living  in  a  land  of 
plenty  while  it  produces  a  class  of  millionaires  and  billionaires 
who  appropriate  such  an  enormous  share  of  God’s  gifts  as  to  be 
unable  even  to  squander  their  superfluous  riches  in  extravagant 
luxuries  and  shocking  immoralities. 

(7)  The  right  to  protection  in  all  vicissitudes  of  life, 
such  as  accidents,  sickness,  unemployment,  old  age  and 


232 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


death.  Any  well-informed  observer  knows  that  in 
many  things  the  American  labourer  is  much  better 
situated  than  any  other  throughout  the  world.  But 
genuine  patriotism  requires  that  we  also  recognize  our 
shortcomings  in  some  very  important  matters  pertain¬ 
ing  to  the  welfare  of  labour.  For  example,  America 
is  far  behind  the  progressive  European  countries  in 
compulsory  industrial  insurance,  in  old  age  pensions, 
in  protection  from  dangerous  machinery  and  occupa¬ 
tional  diseases. 

Note.  It  should  be  recognized  that  recently  we  have  become 
busy  “  catching  up,”  especially  under  the  leadership  of  the  large 
corporations.  The  increasing  number  of  retirement  systems, 
state,  municipal  and  industrial,  shows  that  employers  are  coming 
more  and  more  to  realize  their  responsibilities  to  old  and  disabled 
employees  who  have  rendered  a  lifetime  of  faithful,  loyal  service. 
One  corporation  alone  during  the  last  ten  years  has  appropriated 
nearly  100  million  dollars  for  welfare  work.  Ethical  management 
always  pays  in  a  good  conscience,  a  reputation  for  fair  dealing 
and  in  loyalty  and  efficiency  of  labour. 

Questions: 

1.  What  practical  measures  toward  humanizing  our  industrial 
order  are  there  that  Christians  can  support  without  bloodshed? 

2.  What  do  we  mean  by  the  “  Profit  Motive  ”  in  business? 

3.  May  ministers  of  the  Gospel  look  out  for  good  pay,  and  if 
so  what  is  the  inference  from  this  on  labour  struggles  for  higher 
pay?  (Vedder,  “The  Gospel  of  Jesus,”  65). 

4.  Should  remuneration  be  based  solely  on  the  market  value  of 
labour,  or  also  on  the  labourer’s  needs  and  the  spirit  in  which  he 
works? 

5.  How  may  the  monotony  of  our  industrial  system  be  relieved 
by  the  worker  himself? 

III.  Christ’s  Teaching  on  the  Rights  of  the 

Employer 

(1)  Under  the  present  system  of  industry  the  prin¬ 
ciples  of  Christ’s  teachings  would  recognize  the  right 


CAPITAL  AND  LABOUR 


233 


of  the  owner  to  exercise  chief  control  over  his  own 
business ,  and  hire  whomsoever  he  pleases  (Matt. 
20:  15),  on  the  condition,  however,  that  he  pays  strict 
attention  to  the  Golden  Rule  (Matt.  7:  12). 

(2)  The  right  to  expect  loyalty ,  faithfulness  and 
efficiency.  As  the  working  man  has  the  right  to  a  fair 
wage,  so  has  the  employer  to  a  fair  amount  of  honest 
work  (Luke  17:  10).  Sabotage  and  restriction  of 
output  will  in  the  course  of  time,  like  all  wrongs,  act 
like  a  boomerang:  it  will  weaken  the  worker’s  physical, 
intellectual  and  moral  character. 

(3)  As  to  wages ,  Does  Matthew  20:  15  suggest  that 
the  employer  has  a  right  to  pay  his  employee  whatever 
he  wishes,  or  does  it  mean,  equal  pay  for  all  who  do 
their  best,  whether  their  best  be  little  or  much  ? 

(4)  Christ  and  the  Apostles  silently  recognized  the 
institution  of  slavery,  being  firmly  convinced  that  the 
“dynamite”  of  the  Gospel  (Rom.  1:  16,  17)  would 
in  the  course  of  time  destroy  this  relic  of  barbarism 
(1  Cor.  7:20-23;  Phil.  16).  Paul  was  a  skilled 
artisan  and  seems  to  have  rather  enjoyed  his  work 
(Acts  20:  34).  In  1  Corinthians  9:  1-10  he  advocates 
the  principle  of  a  living  wage  for  all  who  do  some  kind 
of  useful  work.  For  idlers  he  had  no  use  (2  Thess. 
3:  12). 

Literature: 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  etc.,  296-298. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,”  133. 

IV.  The  History  of  the  Class  Struggle 

Persistent  and  long  continued  disregard  in  modern 
economic  and  industrial  development  of  the  principles 
just  discussed  has  forced  to  the  front  in  all  countries 
what  is  known  as  “  the  social  question  ”  which  is  the 


234 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


modern  designation  for  all  the  grievances  and  demands 
rising  from  low  wages,  long  working  hours,  unem¬ 
ployment,  industrial  autocracy,  bad  housing,  in¬ 
sufficient  protection  in  all  vicissitudes  of  life,  etc. 

Note .  A  brief  sketch  of  this  struggle  for  better  labour  and 
living  conditions  will  assist  us  in  a  better  understanding  of  the 
present  serious  industrial  situation.  A  bare  mention  of  the  high 
points  of  the  industrial  class  struggle  in  the  past  must  suffice, 
leaving  it  to  the  students  to  supplement  this  sketch  by  consulting 
some  of  the  recommended  literature. 

I.  Labour  Struggles  in  the  Past.  The  Exodus  of  the  Jews 
from  Egypt;  the  agrarian  revolt  led  by  the  Gracchi  and  the  slave 
insurrection  under  Spartacus  in  ancient  Rome;  the  Peasant’s 
War  in  1526  and  the  French  Revolution  in  1789  are  a  few  illustra¬ 
tions  of  the  class-struggle  between  capital  and  labour  in  the 
past.  With  the  invention  of  steam  and  electrical  power  a  silent 
but  radical  revolution  was  introduced  into  the  industrial  life  of 
the  nations,  and  the  necessary  readjustments  caused  tremendous 
labour  uprisings,  some  of  them  leading  to  political  revolutions. 

II.  Progress  Made  by  Labour.  The  net  results  of  the  strug¬ 
gles  between  capital  and  labour  are  decidedly  in  favour  of  the 
working  class,  as  the  remarkable  progress  made  by  them  during 
the  past  three  or  four  generations  along  the  following  seven 
lines  plainly  shows. 

1.  Abolition  of  Slavery  and  Serfdom.  Since  1834  no  less  than 
thirty-six  million  of  labourers  have  been  emancipated  throughout 
the  world,  either  from  direct  slavery  or  from  soil-bondage  or 
serfdom.  In  1834  Great  Britain  liberated  781,000  and  in  1863  the 
United  States  freed  4,000,000  slaves.  In  1840  and  1848,  7,000,000 
serfs  were  freed  by  Austria,  and  in  1861  Russia  liberated  21,000,- 
000  from  soil  bondage.  Many  other  shackles  of  labour  in  almost 
every  land  were  loosened  in  recent  years.  This  liberating  process 
constitutes  an  advance  in  three  directions. 

(a)  It  granted  to  34,000,000  men  the  rights  of  human  beings. 

(b)  It  lessened  the  unequal  and  ruinous  competition  between 
free  and  slave  labour. 

(c)  It  had  an  ennobling  effect  on  labour  as  such,  the  humblest 
manual  work  being  more  and  more  considered  compatible  with 
the  dignity  of  free  men. 


CAPITAL  AND  LABOUR 


235 


2.  The  Advent  of  Improved  Machinery  and  the  Factory  Sys¬ 
tem.  The  great  inventions  and  discoveries,  especially  of  steam 
and  electric  power,  made  work  easier,  led  to  the  decrease  of  the 
hours  of  labour  and  increased  production,  thereby  placing  the 
commodities  of  life  within  the  reach  of  a  larger  number  of 
people.  Mulhall’s  History  of  Prices  shows  that  the  working 
classes  in  all  countries  consume  to-day  three  times  as  much  as 
in  1850.  The  factory  system,  which  was  the  necessary  sequence 
of  larger  and  improved  machinery  and  of  increased  production, 
marks  another  great  advance  of  the  working  class.  Through  it 
the  worker  rose  in  importance.  Daniel  Digeon  says,  “  In  spite  of 
a  bad  beginning  and  early  misadministration;  in  spite  of  the  low 
condition  of  labour,  the  factory  system  has  benefited  the  labourer 
as  no  other  form  of  industry  has  done.”  It  separated  the  home 
from  the  workshop,  thus  laying  the  foundation  of  sanitary  im¬ 
provements  ;  led  to  greater  fixity  of  earnings  and  payments  and 
encouraged  the  idea  of  cooperation. 

3.  Increase  of  Wages  and  Shorter  Hours  of  Work.  The  low 
rate  of  wages  in  former  times  can  be  judged  from  the  statement 
that  in  1803  the  Schuylkill  Canal  Co.,  Philadelphia,  advertised 
for  “  hands  ”  at  five  dollars  a  month  with  board  and  lodging, 
and  got  all  the  workers  it  wanted  at  that  price.  In  Vermont  men 
were  hired  for  $18  a  year  with  board  and  clothing.  In  1828  the 
average  weekly  wages  of  women  was  $2.62,  and  in  1880  it  had 
risen  to  $4.84.  In  1850  the  average  yearly  wages  in  all  industries 
throughout  the  United  States  were  $247.11  and  in  1880  it  had 
advanced  fo  $346.91.  And  in  addition  to  this  increase  Atkinson 
estimates  that  there  has  been  a  large  advance  in  the  purchasing 
power  of  wages  since  i860.  The  employers  are  constantly  learn¬ 
ing  the  truth  of  what  Mr.  Hume  said  in  the  British  Parliament, 
fifty  years  ago,  “  Low  wages  degrades  labour,  and  the  degrada¬ 
tion  of  labour  means  insecurity  for  capital.”  There  are  two  ways 
of  treating  labour  in  the  matter  of  wages;  the  first  being  to  pay 
them  as  little  as  they  will  take,  and  the  second  is  to  pay  them 
as  much  as  the  profit  on  their  labour  will  allow.  The  first 
method  is  the  parent  of  strikes,  discontent,  hatred  and  smoulder¬ 
ing  rebellion,  while  the  second  way  promotes  contentment,  man¬ 
hood,  good  homes,  church  life,  security  of  the  government  and 
repression  of  crime  and  vice.  An  authority  asserts  that  the 
science  of  economics  furnishes  neither  figure  nor  fact  to  show 
that  the  labouring  classes,  including  clergymen  and  teachers,  are 


236 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


receiving  their  fair  share  of  the  advantages  afforded  by  the  vast 
natural  wealth  of  our  country  and  the  new  industrial  forces. 

There  has  also  been  a  considerable  reduction  in  the  daily  hours 
of  labour  from  thirteen  to  fourteen  in  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century  to  ten,  nine,  eight  or  even  less  at  present. 
The  demand  for  shorter  hours  of  labour  does  not  originate  in 
laziness,  as  many  people  still  are  wont  to  believe,  but  it  is  due  to 
the  great  labour  saving  improvements  accompanied  by  a  steady 
increase  of  unemployment'.  For  example,  in  brick-making,  im¬ 
proved  appliances  have  displaced  ten  per  cent,  of  the  labour,  and 
in  carpet-making  one  man  can  now  do  the  work  which  thirty 
years  ago  required  from  ten  to  twenty  men’s  attention.  Society 
owes  to  every  man  willing  to  work  an  opportunity  to  support  his 
family.  Continuous  unemployment  of  large  numbers  results  in 
poverty,  lawlessness  and  sometimes  in  rebellion.  So  the  jobs 
must  be  fairly  distributed,  and  this  can  only  be  done  by  a 
reduction  of  hours. 

4.  Regulation  of  Women  and  Children’s  Work.  Nobody  will 
believe  to-day  that  seventy  years  ago,  in  “  those  good  old  times,” 
children  five  years  old  were  compelled  to  work  in  the  cotton 
factories  of  England  and  America  from  five  o’clock  in  the  morn¬ 
ing  until  eight  at  night.  In  the  bleaching  works  children  of 
eleven  were  kept  continuously  at  work  during  the  same  hours  in  a 
temperature  of  120  degrees.  The  brutalities  formerly  inflicted  on 
child  labour  in  coal  mines  have  been  officially  stigmatized  as  too 
terrible  for  description.  Owing  to  hard  labour,  women  were 
crippled  into  every  form  of  distortion.  Most  of  these  atrocities 
have  been  abolished.  Almost  every  state  of  the  Union  has  now 
strict  laws  governing  child  labour  (as  well  as  women  labour), 
making  attendance  at  school  compulsory  and  doing  away  with 
child  labour  where  it  competes  with  men’s  labour.  There  is, 
however,  much  room  for  improvement.  And  though  the  U.  S. 
Supreme  Court  has  recently  declared  unconstitutional  child  labour 
laws,  passed  by  Congress,  the  good  work  must  and  will  go  on. 
For  there  is  also  a  larger  social  aspect  to  this  question.  Strict 
regulation  of  child  and  woman’s  labour  will  decrease  unemploy¬ 
ment,  thus  encouraging  marriage  and  raising  the  cultural  stand¬ 
ard  of  the  whole  population. 

5.  Labour  Organizations .  During  the  Middle  Ages  the  higher 
skilled  branches  of  industry  were  organized  into  strong  “  guilds,” 
especially  on  the  European  continent.  But  the  bulk  of  the  labour- 


CAPITAL  AND  LABOUE 


237 


ing  people  were  by  law  forbidden  to  combine  for  self-protection, 
and  this  oppression  increased  since  the  factory  system  was  intro¬ 
duced,  about  a  hundred  years  ago.  Until  1825  an  ancient  law 
was  enforced  in  England  making  it  criminal  for  working  people 
to  combine  for  raising  wages  and  the  diminishing  of 
hours  of  labour.  The  penalty  for  a  third  transgression 
was  the  cropping  of  one  of  the  offender’s  ears.  But 
even  after  the  repeal  of  this  law,  in  1824,  nearly  fifty  years 
elapsed  before  trades  unions  had  any  standing  in  a  court  of 
justice,  and  it  was  as  late  as  1870  that  this  last  unjust  prohibition 
of  labour  combines  was  removed.  Similar  conditions  obtained  on 
the  European  continent  and  America.  Chas.  Dickens’  novel, 
“  Hard  Times,”  has  these  labour  conditions  for  its  theme.  How 
things  have  changed  since,  I  need  not  describe.  Some  labour 
unions  to-day  are  in  danger  of  going  to  the  other  extreme,  dis¬ 
regarding  the  rights  of  the  employer  and  oppressing  their  fellow 
labourers  as  well  as  the  great  mass  of  consumers  by  their  ex¬ 
orbitant  demands.  But  these  are  excrescences ;  the  principle 
underlying  the  labour  union  is  as  sound  as  the  one  at  the  base 
of  employers’  combines  and  the  organizations  of  teachers, 
lawyers,  physicians  and  clergymen. 

6.  Labour  Protecting  Laws.  In  the  seventies  of  the  last  century 
Germany  took  the  leadership  among  the  nations  in  passing  com¬ 
pulsory  laws,  protecting  the  labouring  man  in  all  conceivable 
vicissitudes  of  life,  in  cases  of  sickness,  accident,  old  age  and 
death.  Other  European  countries  followed,  and  recently  America 
has  seriously  started  the  same  system,  by  several  state  govern¬ 
ments,  or  by  large  corporations  and  even  by  the  federal  govern¬ 
ment.  All  the  objections  against  this  insurance  system  amount 
to  nothing  when  carefully  examined.  The  fact  is  that  it  raises 
the  standard  of  the  labouring  class;  contributes  to  his  peace  of 
mind  and  promotes  love  of  government  and  country. 

When,  in  1881,  Bismarck  introduced  the  first  working  man’s  in¬ 
surance  law,  the  idea  was  yet  new  and  he  was  charged  with 
socialism,  and  the  law  was  contemptuously  rejected  by  the 
German  Parliament.  When  in  the  following  year  the  Iron 
Chancellor  reintroduced  the  law  he  uttered  these  oft  quoted 
words :  “  Gentlemen,  I  do  not  care  what  you  call  this  law,  whether 
you  dub  it  socialism  or  paternalism — the  Emperor  and  I  call  it 
*  Applied  Christianity.’  ” 

7.  Moral  and  Religious  Progress.  Until  about  fifty  years  ago 


238 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


all  churches,  even  the  “  free  ”  churches,  were  ruled  by  the  higher 
classes — princes,  or  bishops,  or  the  nobility,  or  the  merchants  and 
the  wealthy  people  in  general.  To-day  the  labouring  man,  the 
farmer,  the  plain  people  in  general  occupy  prominent  places  in 
church  affairs  and  all  the  branches  of  social  service.  The  labour 
class  as  such  is  not  hostile  to  the  Church;  if  it  were,  where  do 
the  forty  millions  of  American  church  members  come  from? 
Some  leaders  of  labour  are  even  very  prominent  churchmen, 
especially  in  England,  because  they  recognize  in  the  churches  an 
uplifting  force  second  to  none,  for  themselves,  their  wives  and 
especially  their  children. 

V.  Present  Status  in  the  Struggle  Between 

Capital  and  Labour 

At  present  three  industrial  systems  are  struggling 
for  supremacy. 

(1)  Private  capitalism,  supported  in  America  by 
the  overwhelming  majority  of  all  classes,  as  the 
elections  every  year  conclusively  show.  However, 
without  calling  the  system  as  such  in  question, 
large  groups  of  the  American  people  endeavour  to 
wrest  from  private  capitalism  better  living  conditions, 
by  moral  and  religious  appeals,  or  through  labour 
organizations,  or  by  state  and  federal  laws.  The  more 
speedily  decisive  reforms  are  granted,  the  longer  will 
private  capitalism  retain  the  support  of  the  mass  of 
the  American  people. 

Literature: 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,”  132- 
139. 

(2)  Socialism,  as  taught  by  Karl  Marx,  is  advocated 
to-day  by  thousands  of  able  writers,  and  voted  for  by 
about  one  million  of  Americans  and  untold  millions 
in  Europe.  In  the  words  of  Dr.  Gladden:  “The 
nationalization  or  municipalization  of  capital — that  is 


CAPITAL  AND  LABOUR 


239 


the  shortest  phrase  in  which  the  scheme  of  socialism 
can  be  expressed.  The  farms,  the  mines,  the  rail¬ 
roads  and  steamships,  the  furnaces,  the  factories,  the 
machinery,  the  dwellings,  the  goods  in  warehouses 
and  in  transit  would  all  be  owned  by  the  state  or  com¬ 
mune.”  Or  using  more  abstract  terms,  “  Socialism 
means  public  ownership  of  the  means  of  production 
and  working  class  control  of  the  government,  a  chance 
to  work  for  all  who  will,  and  to  all  workers  the  full 
value  of  the  product.”  (As  shown  in  chapter  22, 
socialism  favours  private  ownership  of  property  to  a 
certain  extent.)  Being  a  living  and  a  world  move¬ 
ment,  socialism  (like  the  Church  and  other  organiza¬ 
tions)  is  constantly  undergoing  changes  according  to 
changing  conditions.  As  to  the  method  of  introducing 
socialism,  its  leaders  advocate  the  slow  process  of 
bloodless  evolution.  Their  historic  international 
slogan  is:  “Workers  of  the  World  Unite!  you  have 
nothing  to  lose  but  your  chains  and  a  world  to  gain.” 
In  America  there  is  as  yet  very  little  demand  for  Marx¬ 
ian  socialism. 

(3)  Communism ,  under  different  names  and  of 
different  shades,  such  as  I.  W.  W.,  Bolshevism,  Spar- 
tacism,  etc.  This  movement  belittles  political  action 
as  being  too  slow ;  advocates  “  direct-action,”  a  pro¬ 
letarian  dictatorship  by  the  labourers  only,  and  denies 
all  right  of  private  property.  Communism  differs 
from  socialism,  ( a )  in  aim :  all  wealth  is  to  be  held  in 
common  and  distributed  equally  to  all;  ( b )  in  method: 
advocating  violence,  sabotage  and  direct  action,  such 
as  seizure  of  factories  by  force,  etc.  There  is  no  soil 
for  this  noxious  plant  in  America  to  grow  in  and  there 
never  will  be,  unless  our  controllers  of  great  wealth 
should  continue  to  oppose  reasonable  reforms.  Even 


240 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


in  France,  Germany,  Italy,  England,  Hungary,  etc., 
Bolshevism  is  a  great  failure  because  it  is  built  on  con¬ 
ditions  that  do  not  exist  even  there. 

(4)  Anarchism.  Tolstoy  advocated  the  philosoph¬ 
ical  type  while  others  encourage  violence  as  in  Rus¬ 
sia.  Anarchy  is  the  direct  opposite  of  socialism,  seek¬ 
ing  to  break  up  society  into  mere  congeries  of  indi¬ 
viduals,  each  doing  that  which  is  right  in  his  own  eyes, 
without  care  or  thought  for  any  one  else;  or,  as  Pro¬ 
fessor  Flint  says,  “  Anarchism  is  the  extravagance  of 
individualism.”  It  appeals  to  no  sane  man. 

(5)  Christian  Cooperation.  Strong  efforts  are  be¬ 
ing  made  by  individual  Christians  and  even  church 
organizations,  to  apply  Christ’s  ideal  to  the  solution  of 
our  industrial  problems,  some  of  the  details  of  which 
will  be  discussed  in  chapters  25-30. 

Literature : 

The  official  platforms  of  the  Socialists,  the  Progressive  Party 
and  the  Federated  Churches  may  be  found  in  Vedder’s  “  Gospel 
of  Jesus,”  388-394. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  332.  (A  good  definition  of  Socialism.) 

Questions: 

1.  What  are  the  differences  between  capitalism,  socialism, 
social  reform,  communism,  anarchism,  syndicalism  and  trade- 
unionism  ? 

2.  Compare  the  efforts  at  reforms  by  Christianity  and  by 
Socialism  as  to  diagnosis,  aim,  method  and  spirit. 

3.  Why  do  some  people  insist  that  we  need  some  sort  of  a 
People’s  Welfare,  or  a  Progressive  Party? 

4.  Where  does  Christ  stand  on  the  social  question?  Which 
industrial  system  would  He  favour — Capitalism?  Socialism? 


VI.  What  is  the  P^§ent  Outlook  as  to  Social 

Regeneration  ? 

The  Christian,  like  his  Master,  should  be  an  “  incor- 


CAPITAL  AND  LABOUR 


241 


rigible  Optimist  yet  not  one  of  the  brainless  variety, 
wearing  rose-coloured  spectacles  all  the  time,  but  a  man 
firmly  believing  that  the  kingdom  of  God,  though 
progress  may  be  slow,  will  finally  triumph,  though  such 
triumph  may  involve  the  cross  and  martyrdom  as  with 
Jesus  and  others.  This  hopeful  but  serious  view  of 
the  situation  is  taken  by  many  of  our  foremost  Ameri¬ 
can  prophets,  only  four  of  whom  I  desire  to  quote  in 
conclusion: 

1.  In  1858  Abraham  Lincoln  said:  “There  is  an 
eternal  struggle  between  the  two  principles,  Right  and 
Wrong,  throughout  the  world.  They  are  the  two  prin¬ 
ciples  that  have  stood  face  to  face  from  the  beginning 
of  time.  The  one  is  the  common  right  of  humanity, 
the  other  the  divine  right  of  kings.  It  is  the  same 
principle  in  whatever  shape  it  develops  itself.  It  is 
the  same  spirit  that  says,  ‘  You  toil  and  work  and  earn 
bread  and  I’ll  eat  it.’  ” 

2.  Senator  La  Follette’s  Advice  to  Labour  in  1922 : 
“  Shun,  as  you  would  the  plague,  all  who  counsel  resort 
to  force  and  violence.  The  overthrow  of  government 
by  violence  will  gain  the  worker  nothing  but  additional 
hardship  and  suffering  for  himself  and  his  family.  If 
the  American  people  do  not  have  sufficient  intelligence 
to  secure  and  hold  control  of  government  through  the 
ballot,  they  would  not  have  the  intelligence  to  retain 
the  control  of  government  if  they  were  to  secure  that 
control  by  force.” 

3.  In  1912  Woodrow  Wilson  said:  “We  stand  in 
the  presence  of  a  revolution — not  a  bloody  revolution, 
for  America  is  not  given  to  the  spilling  of  blood — but 
a  silent  revolution,  whereby  America  will  insist  upon 
recovering  in  practice  those  ideals  which  she  has  always 
professed,  upon  securing  a  government  devoted  to  the 


242 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


general  interest  and  not  to  special  interests  ”  (“New 
Freedom  ”). 

4.  R.  Steiner  writes:  “  In  good  time  America  will 
develop  an  industrial  democracy.  The  dissatisfaction 
with  the  present  system  is  growing  daily,  even  among 
the  so-called  privileged  classes.  Many  a  man,  well 
favoured  by  circumstances  is  crying  out  with  Walt 
Whitman:  “  By  God!  I  will  not  have  anything  which 
others  cannot  have  on  the  same  terms.” 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

POVERTY  AND  ITS  ABOLITION 


Parallel  Readings: 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  chap.  5. 

Devine,  E.  T.,  “  Social  Work,”  Part  II. 

Cone,  “Rich  and  Poor  in  the  New  Testament.” 

Warner,  “  American  Charities.” 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,”  139- 
146. 

Williams,  Ch.  D.,  “  The  Christian  Ministry  and  Social 
Problems,”  chap.  2. 

McCann,  A.,  “  Starving  America.” 

Webb,  S.,  “  Prevention  of  Destitution.” 

Uhlhorn,  “  Christian  Charity.” 

“Cry  of  Justice,”  88,  92,  97,  104,  116,  132,  141,  182,  193,  200, 
453,  524,  786. 

Lovelace,  Griffin  M.,  “The  House  of  Protection”  (On  Life 
Insurance). 

Hastings,  “  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  III,  373- 
392  (“Charity”);  474  (“Benevolence”). 

Vedder,  “  The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of 
Democracy,”  282-331. 

Gardner,  “The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  Social  Progress,”  249-276. 

Henderson,  “  Social  Duties,”  224-240. 

Speer,  R.,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  100,  105,  109. 

Bryant,  “New  Library  of  Poetry,”  I,  332;  I,  342;  II,  862. 

Ward,  H.  F.,  “  Poverty  and  Wealth.” 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  299. 

Watson,  Frank  D.,  “  The  Charity  Organization  Movement  in 
the  United  States.” 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  238-240. 

Williams,  “  Christian  Ministry  and  Social  Problems,”  35,  36, 
63,  67,  81,  85. 


243 


244 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


A  natural  result  of  the  many  unchristian  and  inhu¬ 
man  features  of  our  present  political  and  economic 
systems  is  the  general  prevalence  of  poverty  through¬ 
out  the  world. 

I.  The  Historical  Background 

1.  Extreme  poverty  prevailed  throughout  Palestine 
in  Christ’s  time,  partly  because  the  laws  of  Moses  for 
the  prevention  and  alleviation  of  poverty  were  a  dead 
letter  (Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  31,  152-153,  97- 
102). 

2.  Degrees  of  Poverty  and  Wealth .  Rich  and 
poor  are  relative  terms  and  their  exact  meaning 
depends  on  the  relation  of  one’s  possessions  to  the  total 
wealth  of  the  nation  of  which  these  groups  are  integral 
parts  as  well  as  on  the  comparison  of  the  mode  of  liv¬ 
ing  of  the  poor  with  the  generally  accepted  standard 
of  living.  Accordingly,  a  rich  man  is  he  who  has  more 
than  the  standard  of  living  in  his  country  requires;  a 
man  is  poor  if  he  falls  below  that  standard  and  a  pau¬ 
per  is  a  person  who  is  permanently  dependent  on 
others. 

3.  Christ's  personal  experience  with  poverty.  He 
knew  what  the  struggle  for  existence  under  the  profit- 
system  meant.  For  His  family,  He  Himself  and  the 
majority  of  His  followers  belonged  to  the  poorer  class 
(Luke  2:  7,  24;  9:58;  14:  33;  2  Cor.  8:  10).  Partly 
because  Jesus  understood  conditions  so  well  He  often 
expressed  deep  sympathy  with  the  poor,  and  many  of 
His  miracles  were  wrought  merely  to  relieve  poverty 
(Matt.  11:28;  John  6:  1-14;  Matt.  6:32).  To 
insist,  however,  that  Jesus  showed  partiality  for  the 
poor  and  regarded  poverty  in  itself  as  a  means  of  hap- 


POVERTY  AND  ITS  ABOLITION 


245 


piness  and  salvation  is  to  pervert  the  very  foundation 
principles  of  Christ’s  teaching  concerning  the  kingdom 
of  God. 

II.  Conditions  of  Poverty  in  America 

Through  man’s  fault,  the  larger  part  of  mankind  is 
constantly  suffering  from  lack  of  the  necessaries  of 
life.  Even  in  America  the  conditions  are  much  worse 
than  they  need  to  be.  The  cost  of  living  has  been 
raised  by  unseen  hands  until  several  millions  of  Ameri¬ 
cans  are  unable  to  earn  even  the  bare  minimum  which 
social  science  declares  necessary  for  health  and  decency. 
Poverty  exists  not  only  among  the  foreign-born.  In 
the  National  Conference  of  Social  Workers  in  1920, 
it  was  reported,  that  “  Abject  poverty  in  this  country 
exists  chiefly  among  Americans  and  not  the  foreign 
population,  as  is  popularly  supposed.”  A  number  of 
other  traditional  beliefs  were  shattered  in  that  report, 
as,  e.  g.,  that  poverty  is  an  old  age  problem,  for  in 
most  cases  it  seems  to  occur  between  the  ages  of  thirty 
and  forty.  Nor  do  large  families  cause  poverty.  Of 
the  number  investigated  3,367  had  no  children.  The 
usual  “  per  capita  ”  method  of  figuring  out  each  per¬ 
son’s  wealth  is  misleading  because  distribution  is  far 
from  being  equitable,  the  great  bulk  of  America’s 
wealth  being  in  the  hands  of  a  very  few  men.  And 
prosperity  does  not  exist  for  a  nation  unless  it  pervades 
it.  The  amount  of  wealth  in  a  nation  is  much  less 
important  than  the  accessibility  of  the  wealth.  These 
deplorable  conditions  are  not  due  to  the  scarcity  of  the 
necessaries  of  life.  There  is  enough  wealth  in  the 
world  to-day  to  support  all  human  life  handsomely. 
There  was  a  time,  when  man,  toiling  with  his  simple 


246 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


hand-tools,  was  incapable  of  producing  enough  food, 
shelter  and  clothing  to  supply  the  needs  of  all.  Theirs 
was  a  society  of  deficit.  Then  dawned  the  machine  age 
and  production  increased  in  unbelievable  proportion. 
What,  then,  are  the  real  causes?  In  the  words  of 
Victor  Hugo,  “  We  produce  wonderfully,  but  distrib¬ 
ute  abominably.”  Let  us  consider  this  point  in  detail. 

III.  The  Causes  of  Poverty 

1.  A  distinction  is  usually  made  between  social  and 
individual  causes  of  poverty.  The  social  causes  are 
those  for  which  the  maladjustments  in  government  and 
economics  are  responsible,  while  the  individual  causes 
refer  to  personal  reasons. 

2.  Our  present  economic  system  of  production  for 
profit  is  bound  to  result  in  wide-spread  poverty,  even 
when  functioning  at  its  best,  that  is,  in  periods  of  good 
harvests  and  regular  employment,  in  times  of  peace 
and  when  good  men  are  at  the  head  of  affairs.  But 
most  of  the  time  our  economic  machine  functions  at 
its  worst,  being  driven  by  selfishness  and  presided  over 
by  heartless  captains  of  industry. 

3.  Some  of  the  social  causes  of  poverty  in  detail 
are  the  following:  the  high  rates  for  and  the  needless 
duplication  of  public  utilities,  the  commercializing  of 
medical  aid,  gambling  in  food  prices,  withholding  food 
from  the  market,  wanton  destruction  of  food  in  order 
to  keep  up  the  high  prices,  preventable  destruction  of 
billions  worth  of  food  by  insects,  a  damage  ten  times 
greater  than  that  wrought  by  fire,  etc. 

4.  Most  of  the  so-called  individual  causes  of  pov¬ 
erty  have  also  their  root  in  social  conditions  such  as, 
intemperance,  a  weak  constitution,  hereditary  diseases, 


POVERTY  AND  ITS  ABOLITION 


247 


misfortunes  in  the  family,  thriftlessness,  laziness, 
ignorance,  loss  of  position  for  refusing  to  carry  out 
immoral  orders,  etc. 

IV.  The  Peril  of  Poverty  to  the  Higher  Life 

1.  Far  from  promoting  a  good  character  or 
strengthening  the  higher  virtues  there  are  positive  and 
peculiar  perils  lurking  in  poverty  and  especially  in 
pauperism  which  positively  prevent  a  normal  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  higher  life.  (1)  Poverty  tends  to  break 
down  self-respect  and  truthfulness;  it  brutalizes  and 
stunts  man’s  higher  faculties  by  incessant  physical  toil 
for  the  mere  necessaries  of  life,  burning  up  his  energies 
by  constant  worry  and  anxiety.  (2)  To  governments 
and  general  society  poverty  and  a  large  pauper  class 
is  a  constant  menace.  History  shows  that  revolutions 
and  labour  riots  are  almost  invariably  traceable  to 
famine.  Witness  the  Spartacus  Rebellion  in  ancient 
Rome,  the  Peasant  War  during  the  Reformation  period 
and  the  French  Revolution  in  1789.  The  recent  fall 
of  the  Russian,  German  and  Austrian  empires  had  all 
the  earmarks  of  bread  riots.  When  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  are  well  fed,  there  will  be  less  need  of  arma¬ 
ments.  A  hungry  people  is  a  dangerous  people.  For 
this  reason  the  American  government  should  make 
strenuous  efforts  to  encourage  farming  and  industry, 
for  no  democratic  theories  will  keep  a  hungry  people 
quiet.  (3)  There  is  absolutely  no  good  element  in 
poverty  itself,  and  those  that  dilate  so  unctuously  on 
the  blessings  of  poverty  are  uniformly  averse  to  tak¬ 
ing  their  own  medicine.  (4)  The  golden  middle  road 
has  long  ago  been  pointed  out  in  Proverbs  30:  8-9. 
Both  extremes  are  dangerous. 


248 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


V.  Prevention  and  Relief  of  Poverty 

Literature: 

Vollmer,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,”  139-145. 

Vedder,  “The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of 
Democracy,”  69,  284,  319-329. 

As  we  have  seen,  poverty  is  a  social  and  economic 
disease,  caused  like  all  diseases  by  the  transgression 
of  God’s  laws  of  nature  and  revelation.  But  it  is  a 
preventable,  and,  when  broken  out,  a  curable  disease. 
The  treatment  may  consist  in  removing  the  causes ,  or 
in  treating  symptoms  and  applying  palliatives,  or  in 
administering  relief  while  the  disease  lasts,  especially 
in  its  acute  stages. 

1.  Jesus  insists  on  the  removal  of  the  deep  cause 
of  poverty,  which  is  selfishness.  He  nowhere  pro¬ 
posed  specific  measures  for  the  prevention  or  abolition 
of  poverty  because  the  three  laws  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  His  special  suggestions  on  economics  already 
contained  the  necessary  remedies.  His  declaration, 
“  The  poor  ye  have  always  with  you,”  is  not  meant  as 
an  endorsement  of  poverty,  or  a  prediction  of  a  per¬ 
petual  condition,  but  is  merely  the  statement  of  a 
deplorable  fact. 

2.  While  society  is  slowly  learning  (Oh,  how 
slowly ! )  to  abolish  poverty  by  removing  its  economic 
and  social  causes,  the  majority  of  good  people  are  still 
busy  in  treating  the  symptoms  of  poverty ,  though  to 
treat  symptoms  is  no  longer  regarded  by  modem  phy¬ 
sicians  as  scientific  therapeutics.  Some  of  these  pal¬ 
liatives  are  the  cultivation  of  the  saving,  insurance  and 
pension  habit,  the  cooperative  system  of  buying  mer¬ 
chandise,  etc.  Yet,  while  these  habits  help  some  peo- 


POVERTY  AND  ITS  ABOLITION 


249 


pie  to  some  extent,  they  tend  on  the  other  hand  rather 
to  aggravate  our  economic  maladjustment.  (How?) 

3.  While  the  disease  of  poverty  lasts  and  especially 
when  it  pinches  very  hard  temporary  relief  must  be 
administered  from  motives  of  human  sympathy  as  well 
as  good  policy.  For  the  temporary  alleviation  of  pov¬ 
erty  Jesus  encouraged  and  practiced  almsgiving 
(Matt.  25:  31;  Rich  Ruler;  Good  Samaritan;  Unjust 
Steward;  John  13:  29 ;  His  miracles).  The  Apostolic 
Church  endeavoured  to  relieve  poverty  by  introducing 
communism  in  Jerusalem  (which,  however,  led  to 
greater  distress),  or  by  collecting  and  dispensing  alms 
(1  Cor.  16:  2;  2  Cor.  8  and  9),  and  by  insisting  on 
brotherly  kindness  of  all  men  (1  Cor.  11:  21,  33). 

4.  These  three  methods  of  relieving  poverty  were 
continued  by  the  Church  in  subsequent  ages  to  an  ex¬ 
tent  which  makes  her  record  of  social  service  most  glo¬ 
rious.  This  work  the  Church  did  in  part  directly  and 
partly  by  inspiring  others.  Books  like  Uhlhorn’s 
“Christian  Charity  ”  (“Die  Christliche  Liebestaetig- 
keit  ”)  may  prove  an  eye-opener  even  to  well-informed 
friends  of  Christ  and  His  Church.  (See  also  Vollmer, 
“  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,”  141.) 

5.  Reformers  should  avoid  a  number  of  errors  in 
thought  and  practice:  (1)  they  should  not  consider 
charity  and  philanthropy  solutions  of  the  problem  of 
poverty.  Charity  is  no  remedy  for  poverty.  “  Where 
men  have  rights  alms  are  wrong”  (Peabody,  “Jesus 
Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  chap.  5).  Grand 
therefore  as  our  charities  are,  Rauschenbusch  is  right 
in  saying:  “  These  charitable  institutions  are  the  pride 
and  the  shame  of  Christian  civilization.”  In  the  words 
of  Miss  Frances  E.  Willard,  “  These  charities  are  all 
living  monuments  to  a  dead  Church.”  (2)  The  second 


250 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


error  is  to  insist  on  the  ideal — the  removal  of  causes — 
in  such  a  way  as  to  neglect  and  even  scoff  at  private  or 
organized  philanthropy.  Intelligent  people  should 
know  that  the  gradual  abolition  of  poverty  will  be  a 
long,  tedious  process,  and  until  economic  justice  is 
perceptibly  established  charity  must  be  administered. 
To  vote  for  an  ideal  will  not  bring  medicine,  clothing 
or  food  to  a  squalid  apartment.  To  let  men  suffer 
because  almsgiving  is  not  an  ideal  method  of  dealing 
with  poverty  would  be  to  sink  into  the  moral  status 
of  savagery.  It  would  mean  that  we  have  raised  our 
ideals  to  such  lofty  heights  that  in  order  not  to  sacri¬ 
fice  them  we  must  practice  barbarism.  Socialists  and 
other  radical  reformers  are  in  danger  of  committing 
this  sin  of  omission.  (3)  Relief  work  should  not  be  too 
much  institutionalized ;  the  personal  touch  of  relatives, 
neighbours,  employers,  the  local  church,  and  other 
acquaintances  should  be  encouraged.  (4)  Shiftless¬ 
ness  and  street  begging  should  not  be  encouraged.  If 
the  beggars  are  worthy,  decent  provision  should  be 
made  for  them. 

Questions : 

1.  Why  did  Jesus  place  so  slight  an  emphasis  on  almsgiving 
in  contrast  to  the  Pharisees  and  the  Church? 

2.  Explain  the  difference  in  the  result  upon  society  if  our 
multimillionaires,  instead  of  giving  large  sums  to  charity,  would 
reduce  their  profits. 

3.  By  what  practical  methods  may  poverty  be  prevented? 


PART  VII 


The  Kingdom  and  the  Church 


CHAPTER  XXV 

PAST  ACHIEVEMENTS  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN 
CHRISTIANIZING  SOCIETY 

Parallel  Readings: 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  chap.  i. 
Kent,  “  Social  Teaching  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  327-341 
and  359. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,”  chaps. 
1,  2,  3,  5,  6,  and  7. 

Ferrero,  Guglieimo,  “  Ruin  of  the  Ancient  Civilization  and  the 
Triumph  of  Christianity.” 

Brace,  “  Gesta  Christi.” 

Good,  J.  I.,  “  History  of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Germany.” 
Dobschiitz,  “  Christian  Life  in  the  Primitive  Church.” 

Uhlhorn,  “  Christian  Charity,”  and  “  The  Conflict’  between 
Heathenism  and  Christianity.” 

Case,  “Evolution  of  Early  Christianity”  (chap.  X,  “The 
Triumph  of  Christianity”). 

Scott,  E.,  “  The  Beginnings  of  Christianity,”  133-161. 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Inspirational  Value  of  the  Study  of 
Church  History.” 

Spinka,  M.,  “  Christianity  and  Church  History.” 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “John  Calvin,”  chaps.  28-30,  159,  167-215. 

“  Christ  and  Civilization,”  by  British  and  American  Authors, 
chaps.  3-10. 

Hastings,  “  Dictionary  of  Christ  and  the  Gospels,”  II,  646. 
Guizot,  “  History  of  Civilization.” 

Lecky,  “  History  of  European  Morals.” 

Gibbon,  “  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire.” 

Books  on  Acts  and  the  Apostolic  Age. 

Tucker,  “Life  in  the  Roman  World  of  Nero  and  St.  Paul.” 
Ramsay,  “  The  Church  in  the  Roman  Empire.” 

Dill,  “  Roman  Society  from  Nero  to  Marcus  Aurelius,”  619^ 

251 


252 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Freemantle,  “  The  World  as  the  Subject  of  Redemption,”  81- 
248. 

Hatch,  “  Organization  of  the  Early  Church,”  36-39. 

Rauschenbusch,  “Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  103-122; 
and  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  92-142. 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  chap.  5. 

Stearns,  Harold  E.,  “  Civilization  in  the  United  States.” 

Bruce,  “Kingdom  of  God,”  chap.  11. 

Klinger,  “  Christus  in  Olymp.” 

Sinclair,  “  Cry  of  Justice,”  233,  234,  236. 

Poetry :  Schiller’s  “  Ring  des  Polycrates,”  and  “  Die  Goetter 
Griechenlands ;  Gerock,  “  Paulus  in  Athens  ” ;  “  Faith  of  Our 
Fathers.” 

Schmitt,  C.,  “  The  Social  Results  of  Early  Christianity.” 

Having  discussed  the  salvation  of  various  domestic, 
political  and  economic  groups  of  men  we  close  this 
book  with  the  consideration  of  the  Church,  which  is 
the  largest,  most  important  and  most  extensive  social 
group  of  the  human  race,  explaining  her  relation  to  the 
kingdom  as  well  as  the  question  of  her  own  salvation. 

I.  Nature  and  Mission  of  the  Church 

(1)  According  to  the  New  Testament,  the  Church 
is  a  brotherhood  composed  of  all  such  men  as  are  will¬ 
ing  to  be  controlled  by  God  through  the  spirit  and 
the  principles  of  His  kingdom.  (2)  The  usual  New 
Testament  name  for  this  brotherhood,  “  Church,”  is 
only  twice  used  by  Jesus  (Matt.  16:  18 ;  “  my  ”  Church, 
distinguishing  it  from  the  Jewish  Church  and  Matt. 
18:  17),  but  very  frequently  by  the  Apostles.  1  Peter 
2:  17  calls  the  Church  a  “  brotherhood.”  In  harmony 
with  this  conception  of  the  Church,  the  oldest  self¬ 
designation  of  the  followers  of  Jesus  seems  to  have 
been  “  brethren,”  probably  suggested  by  Christ  in 
Matthew  23:  8;  Luke  8:  21;  John  20:  17.  (3)  The 


PAST  ACHIEVEMENTS  OF  THE  CHURCH  253 


social  characteristics  of  the  Church  are  very  strongly 
emphasized  throughout  the  New  Testament.  She  is 
not  to  be  a  school  for  abstract  philosophical  or  theo¬ 
logical  discussion,  nor  merely  an  organization  for  per¬ 
forming  religious  ceremonies,  but  a  social  organism 
for  the  promotion  of  a  life  of  love  (Matt.  18:  16-18; 
Acts  2:42-46;  1  Cor.,  chaps.  11-13;  Rev.,  chaps.  2 
and  3).  The  first  Church  which  should  embody  His 
social  ideal  was  gathered  and  later  organized  at  Caper¬ 
naum  by  Christ  personally  (John  1:  35-51;  Luke  5: 
11;  Mark  3:  14).  The  existence  of  similar  “social 
groups  ”  in  other  localities  is  implied  in  Matt.  18 :  17 ; 
Luke  10:  38-39;  John  7:  3,  47-52;  Acts  1:  13;  1  Cor. 
15:  6.  The  zeal  shown  by  these  primitive  Churches 
in  founding  similar  “  kingdom  groups  ”  throughout  the 
Roman  Empire  was  due  less  to  specific  directions  as  to 
the  natural  tendencies  of  people  believing  in  a  certain 
principle  of  associating  themselves  together. 

The  Mission  of  the  Church  is  to  “  open  the  king¬ 
dom  ”  to  men,  to  teach  all  nations,  to  act  like  salt  and 
light  upon  the  world,  to  permeate  all  relations  of  life, 
to  set  up  standards  of  right  living  and  to  support  the 
truth  (Matt.  16:16-19;  5:13,  14;  13:33;  Luke  9: 
2,  60;  Acts  1:  8;  2  Peter  2:  9;  1  Tim.  3:  15). 

Note.  **  Kingdom  of  God”  and  “  Church”  are  therefore  not 
synonymous  terms ;  their  relation  is  that  of  end  and  means.  The 
Church  is  the  instrument  used  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  establish 
God’s  rule  in  and  among  men.  In  a  limited  sense,  the  Church 
may  be  considered  the  visible  expression  of  God’s  kingdom.  But 
even  if  the  Church  were  all  it  ought  to  be  the  two  would  not  be 
identical,  for  “kingdom  of  God”  expresses  a  much  wider  con¬ 
ception  than  “  Church,”  including  all  of  those  being  moved  by  the 
Divine  Spirit  who  worketh  when  and  where  He  pleases  as  well 
as  all  social  relations  and  institutions  in  proportion  as  they  ex¬ 
press  God’s  will,  such  as  politics,  business,  art,  science,  etc. 


254 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


(Matt.  25:  34-41;  Rom.  2:14-16).  The  two  New  Testament 
senses  of  the  term  “  kingdom  of  God  ”  throw  light  on  this  distinc¬ 
tion,  denoting,  (1)  a  spiritual  force,  hence,  “kingship,”  and  (2) 
a  group  of  men  controlled  by  this  spiritual  force.  (For  further 
explanations  see  chaps.  10  and  11.) 


II.  General  Social  Achievements 

To  what  extent  has  the  Church  in  the  past  fulfilled 
her  sublime  but  arduous  mission  of  Christianizing  the 
social  order?  Unvarnished  history  will  answer  that 
the  influence  of  the  Christian  religion  upon  the  course 
of  civilization  is  literally  speaking  beyond  calculation. 
It  is  often  said  that  no  one  can  tell  whether  Christian¬ 
ity  would  work  in  a  world  like  ours  because  it  has 
never  been  tried.  This  is  false.  Christianity  has  been 
partially  tried  for  nearly  two  millenniums,  both  in  pri¬ 
vate  and  social  life,  and  has  succeeded  admirably. 
True,  there  has  never  been  a  social  order  which  was 
Christian  from  top  to  bottom.  But  large  sections  of 
our  social  life  have  been  influenced  by  Christ’s  spirit 
and  these  are  the  source  of  our  happiness,  while  the 
unchristianized  portions  of  the  social  order  are  the 
source  of  our  misery.  And  the  instrument  for  inject¬ 
ing  this  gospel  influence  into  the  affairs  of  the  world 
was  the  Church.  In  all  periods  of  her  history  to  the 
present  day  the  Church  has  exerted  a  tremendous  and 
regenerating  influence  over  the  spirit,  principles,  cus¬ 
toms,  laws,  government,  institutions,  philosophy, 
science,  literature  and  art  of  the  world,  too  vast  for 
any  one  man  to  grasp  its  full  extent  and  significance. 
The  influence  of  Christianity  in  taming  selfishness 
and  stimulating  the  sympathetic  affections,  in  creating 
a  resolute  sense  of  duty,  a  staunch  love  for  liberty  and 
a  hunger  for  justice  has  been  so  subtle  and  penetrating 


PAST  ACHIEVEMENTS  OF  THE  CHURCH  255 


that  no  one  can  possibly  trace  its  full  effect.  VChat 
the  modern  man  is  he  is  through  Christianity.  And 
even  to-day,  though  other  intellectual  and  spiritual 
forces  have  risen  and  successfully  claimed  part  of  the 
field  which  the  Church  formerly  held  alone,  her  effi¬ 
ciency  in  affecting  public  opinion  is  still  almost  incal¬ 
culable,  even  in  the  least  religious  countries  of  Europe. 
In  our  own  country,  if  the  Church  should  direct  its 
full  available  force  against  any  social  wrong,  there  is 
probably  nothing  that  can  stand  up  against  it  (Rausch- 
enbusch,  “Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  145). 
The  following  chapters  will  show  that  we  are  not 
blind  to  the  great  failings  of  the  Church ;  but  when  all 
has  been  said,  even  the  detractors  of  the  Church  would 
not  care  to  live  in  a  town  or  country  from  which  the 
influences  of  Christianity  and  its  agent,  the  Church, 
were  removed. 


III.  Particular  Social  Achievements 

In  an  age  like  ours,  when  Christianity  as  a  power 
of  social  regeneration  is  again  upon  trial,  it  is  fitting 
that  these  inestimable  services  of  Christ's  religion  to 
the  world  should  be  gratefully  recalled.  The  chief  of 
them  may  be  briefly  summed  up  thus: 

1.  The  Church  has  placed  a  constantly  increasing 
proportion  of  the  human  race  under  the  elevating  in¬ 
fluence  of  what  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States  declared  to  be  a  system  of  the  highest  morality 
known  to  mankind,  gathering  them  into  millions  of 
social  organizations,  which,  if  far  from  being  “  without 
blemish  ”  (Eph.  5:  27),  have  been  in  most  cases  mor¬ 
ally  superior  to  the  prevailing  spirit  of  their  times. 
Gibbons  (“  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,” 


256 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


chap.  15)  estimates  that  there  were  about  six  millions 
of  Christians  in  the  fourth  century  in  the  Roman  Em¬ 
pire,  that  is  one-twentieth  of  the  entire  population; 
while  Harnack  (“Expansion  of  Christianity,”  I,  71 
and  II,  466)  believes  that  one-half  of  the  population 
were  Christians.  (See  also,  “  Christ  and  Civilization,” 
155.)  Of  the  1,700  million  inhabitants  of  the  earth  to¬ 
day,  683  millions  are  Christians,  350  millions  being 
Roman  Catholics,  158  millions  Greek  Catholics  and  220 
millions  Protestants. 

2.  The  Church  has  been  the  greatest,  almost  the 
only  witness,  to  human  brotherhood  in  all  ages.  Lu¬ 
cian  testifies,  “  how  the  Christians  loved  one  another,” 
and  explains  the  unusual  phenomenon  by  saying: 
“  Their  master  has  succeeded  in  making  them  believe 
that  they  are  all  brothers/’  (See  Acts  2:  42-47  for  a 
description  of  an  ideal  brotherhood.) 

3.  The  Church’s  record  of  active  charity,  philan¬ 
thropy  and  social  service  is  most  glorious.  The  Church 
in  Jerusalem  introduced  communism  and  created  the 
office  of  deacons  and  deaconesses  to  care  for  the  poor. 
The  “  Didache  ”  (IV,  8)  enjoins  benevolence  and  the 
great  monastic  orders  and  brotherhoods,  such  as  the 
Franciscans,  the  Teutonic  Knights,  etc.,  specialized  in 
benevolence.  The  Reformers  raised  the  Catholic  con¬ 
ception  of  charity,  insisting  that  it  should  be  practiced 
primarily  for  the  welfare  of  the  recipient  rather  than 
for  the  benefit  of  the  donor.  Even  an  opponent  of 
the  Church  like  the  socialist,  Karl  Kautsky,  said: 
“  Though  it  did  not  abolish  poverty,  the  Church  in  all 
ages  was  the  most  effective  organization  for  alleviat¬ 
ing  the  misery  growing  out  of  the  general  poverty 
within  its  reach  ”  ( Rausch enbusch,  “  Church  and  So¬ 
cial  Crisis,”  133).  It  is,  moreover,  a  demonstrable 


PAST  ACHIEVEMENTS  OF  THE  CHURCH  257 


fact  that  it  was  Christianity  which  gave  rise  to  the 
social  question.  (How?) 

4.  The  Church  enforced  a  higher  ideal  of  morality, 
lifting  woman  to  equality  with  man,  securing  the  stabil¬ 
ity  and  sanctity  of  marriage,  changing  parental  des¬ 
potism  to  parental  service,  eliminating  unnatural  vices, 
the  abandonment  of  children,  blood  revenge,  abolished 
slavery  and  serfdom,  and  mitigated  war.  All  of  this 
was  of  course  accomplished  in  a  relative  sense,  yet 
very  effectively.  (Read  slowly  and  meditate  quietly 
on  passages  like  Rom.,  chaps.  12-15 ;  Eph.  4:  17-5 :  21 ; 
Col.  3:  5-17 ;  1  Thess.  4.)  The  Reformation  revived 
the  New  Testament  ideal  of  life  according  to  which 
the  model  Christian  was  not  the  monk  and  the  nun, 
but  the  man  and  woman  living  in  righteous  society  and 
family  relations,  insisting  that  marriage,  business,  poli¬ 
tics,  farming,  etc.,  are  also  to  be  considered  as  “  holy  ” 
things. 

5.  It  is  generally  conceded  by  all  historians  that 
the  Church  was  the  sole  creator  of  Western  civiliza¬ 
tion  which  for  this  reason  goes  by  the  name  of  the 
“  Christian  ”  civilization.  When  the  powerful,  mor¬ 
ally  clean  but  cultureless  Teutonic  tribes  broke  the  Ro¬ 
man  Empire  to  pieces  (fifth  to  eighth  century),  the 
Church  was  the  only  stable  point  during  these  cen¬ 
turies  of  storm  and  stress  to  which  the  people  could 
cling.  It  was  the  Church  under  the  leadership  of  the 
popes,  bishops  and  monasteries  which  rescued  from 
the  ruins  as  much  as  possible  of  the  dying  Graeco- 
Roman  civilization  and  adapted  these  remnants  to  the 
newly  formed  Teutonic  nations.  It  was  the  Church 
which  had  authority  enough  to  enforce  some  semblance 
of  law  and  order,  keeping  the  untamed  barbarities  of 
kings  and  nobles  in  check,  insisting  on  the  supremacy 


258 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


of  the  moral  law,  protecting  the  poor,  the  women  and 
children.  Granite-like  characters  like  Gregory  VII 
and  Innocent  III  have  exerted  stronger  influences 
for  good  than  the  average  Protestant  is  willing  to 
concede.  All  the  great  moral  movements  of  mediaeval 
Christianity  were  led  by  representatives  of  the  Church. 
The  founding  of  “  The  Holy  Roman  Empire  of  the 
German  Nation  ”  was  also  conceived  as  a  distinct  insti¬ 
tution  for  Christianizing  the  social  order.  For  before 
his  coronation,  on  Christmas,  A.  D.  800,  Charles  the 
Great  was  ordained  as  a  deacon  and  thus  consecrated 
to  exercise  his  new  imperial  powers  as  a  minister  of 
God  (Freemantle,  “The  World  as  the  Subject  of 
Redemption,”  155). 

6.  The  Church  was  the  Alma  Mater  of  education 
in  all  ages,  preserving  the  remnants  of  Graeco-Roman 
literature,  philosophy  and  general  culture  in  the  mon¬ 
asteries  and  schools,  some  of  the  latter  being  the  seeds 
of  famous  universities.  Greek  and  Roman  literature 
would  have  completely  perished  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  monks,  priests  and  bishops ;  for  it  was  only  among 
churchmen  that  an  educational  ideal  was  maintained 
at  all.  The  Renaissance  movement  was  mostly  in  the 
hands  of  churchmen,  and  that  the  Reformers  gave  a 
most  powerful  stimulus  to  education,  both  popular 
and  higher,  needs  no  special  proof.  In  America  our 
oldest  universities  and  our  whole  public  school  system 
are  due  to  the  efforts  of  the  Church. 

7.  The  Church  in  all  ages  supplied  most  of  the 
enthusiasm  for  social  righteousness.  The  religious 
movements  in  the  Middle  Ages  were  closely  connected 
with  economic  causes  and  made  social  demands.  The 
Waldensian,  Lollard,  Hussite,  Anabaptist  and  Puritan 
movements  were  the  first  stirrings  of  democracy,  ex- 


PAST  ACHIEVEMENTS  OP  THE  CHURCH  259 


pressions  of  lay-religion  and  of  working-class  ethics; 
for  they  all  cried  out  for  the  reign  of  God  on  earth. 
Especially  did  the  Reformation  mark  a  long  stride  to¬ 
ward  the  revival  of  social  Christianity  and  the  spirit, 
once  it  was  unfettered,  moved  in  a  way  unexpected  by 
the  Reformers  themselves  (Vollmer,  “  The  Reforma¬ 
tion  a  Liberating  Force,”  53,  73;  Harnack,  “History 
of  Dogma,”  VII,  167 ;  “  Christ  and  Civilization,”  342- 
346;  Vollmer,  “  John  Calvin,”  chaps.  22  and  26). 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


THE  FAILURE  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  HER 
CHRISTIANIZING  EFFORTS 

Parallel  Readings : 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  143-210. 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  51. 

Vedder,  “  Socialism  and  the  Ethics  of  Jesus,”  435-515. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  327  and 
340. 

Freemantle,  “  The  World  the  Subject  of  Redemption,”  Lectures 
3-8;  on  Gibbons,  1 35-1 30. 

Lecky,  “  History  of  European  Morals,”  224. 

Clover,  “  The  Conflict  of  Religions  in  the  Early  Roman 
Empire.” 

“Christ  and  Civilization,”  119  and  411. 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  397. 

While  the  Church  has  put  into  operation  a  large 
part  of  Christ’s  Gospel,  she  has  never  seriously  and 
intelligently  planned  and  insisted  on  the  complete  real¬ 
ization  of  Christ’s  plainly  expressed  program  of  world- 
regeneration.  Let  us  first  look  at  the  facts  in  proof  of 
this  statement  and  then  discuss  the  reasons  explaining 
these  facts. 

I.  Where  the  Church  has  Failed 

In  all  these  discussions  the  distinction  between  the 
Gospel  and  Christianity  as  a  spiritual  force,  the  Church 
as  a  compact  organization  and  Christians  in  their  in¬ 
dividual  capacity  must  be  clearly  kept  in  mind.  There 
is,  e.  g.,  no  difficulty  in  proving  from  history  that  every 

260 


THE  FAILURE  OF  THE  CHURCH 


261 


great  reform  movement  since  Christ  was  directly  or 
indirectly  inspired  by  Christianity  and  for  the  most 
part  was  supported  and  led  by  churchmen  in  their  in¬ 
dividual  capacity;  but  the  Church  in  her  organized 
capacity  has  not  infrequently  opposed  and,  like  the 
Greek  god  Kronos,  tried  to  devour  the  children  to 
which  she  herself  had  given  birth. 

Some  Concrete  Examples  from  History .  (1)  The 

Church  in  her  leadership  has  never  evinced  moral 
strength  enough  to  reform  herself  from  within  by 
allowing  her  forward-looking  members  to  insist  that 
she  carry  out  her  world  mission.  The  prophets  were 
either  silenced,  or  forced  to  step  out  and  form  separate 
organizations,  or  killed.  (Historical  examples  ?)  (2) 

Even  activities  which  undoubtedly  are  a  part  of  the 
Church's  peculiar  work,  such  as  Foreign  Missions,  etc., 
were  either  entirely  neglected  or  carried  out  by  outside 
agencies.  (3)  Instead  of  carrying  out  the  implications 
of  Christ's  teaching  on  the  brotherhood  of  all  men  by 
supporting  movements  for  popular  government,  the 
Church  has  been  too  often  a  pillar  of  despotism  and 
a  foe  to  liberty.  (4)  In  moral  reforms,  such  as  the 
abolition  of  slavery,  the  suppression  of  the  lottery 
octopus,  the  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic,  the 
Church  has  hardly  ever  been  the  pioneer,  though  later 
when  the  reform  had  gained  momentum,  she  often  be¬ 
came  one  of  the  most  efficient  leaders.  (5)  As  to  the 
present  wage  and  profit  system  of  business,  only  a  few 
leaders  of  the  Church  realize  that  it  will  eat  up  the 
nation  if  it  is  allowed  to  obey  its  own  greed,  while  the 
Church  as  an  organization  looks  with  distrust  on  those 
of  her  members  who  try  to  unearth  and  apply  Christ’s 
social  ideals,  even  occasionally  allowing  malefactors  of 
great  wealth  to  crucify  them  on  a  cross  of  gold.  (6) 


262 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


The  Church  has  never  turned  her  moral  force  against 
the  war  system  as  such.  In  theory  she  has  been  for 
peace,  but  in  practice  she  glorified  war,  blessed  the  in¬ 
struments  of  war,  stirred  up  many  wars  herself  and,  as 
a  body,  never  showed  courage  to  advocate  moderation 
in  times  of  passion,  though  individuals  and  smaller 
groups  did  so. 

II.  Reasons  for  the  Church’s  Failure 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  70-82. 

Kent,  “Social  Teaching  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,”  327. 

Why  did  the  social  hope  in  the  Church  so  soon  move 
from  the  center  which  it  occupied  in  the  Gospels  to  the 
circumference  ?  In  other  words,  why  has  the  Church 
never  undertaken  the  work  of  social  reconstruction  as 
a  definite  policy  and  on  a  large  scale?  There  are 
philosophical  as  well  as  historical  reasons  for  this. 

1.  Reasons  Inherent  in  the  Process  of  Develop¬ 
ment.  Social  development  in  the  Church  could  not 
proceed  any  faster  than  it  did  under  the  given  circum¬ 
stances,  for  historical  development  follows  definite 
laws  which  are  inexorable  and  according  to  which  none 
of  the  successive  stages  in  a  forward  movement  may 
be  skipped.  Therefore  a  boy  of  ten  years  of  age 
deserves  no  blame  for  not  having  the  intelligence,  wis¬ 
dom  and  energy  of  the  man  of  thirty.  So  the  Church 
accomplished  at  each  period  of  her  history  everything 
that  the  inherent  laws  of  progress  and  external  condi¬ 
tions  permitted  her.  To  talk  of  “  failures  ”  is  there¬ 
fore  unscientific,  the  advocates  of  this  theory  say. 

2.  Two  specially  prominent  manifestations  of  this 
law  of  human  progress  account  sufficiently  for  the 
tardiness  of  human  advancement:  (a)  the  inherent 


THE  FAILURE  OF  THE  CHURCH 


263 


conservatism  of  human  nature,  an  element  called  by 
the  chemists  the  vis  inertise,  which  is  even  more  in 
evidence  in  organizations  of  lawyers,  physicians,  edu¬ 
cators,  farmers,  labour  organizations,  etc.,  than  in  the 
Church ;  and  ( b )  the  special  reluctance  to  change  moral 
standards.  In  the  words  of  Dr.  Rauschenbusch, 
“  Elevating  the  morality  of  a  nation  is  like  raising  a 
sky-scraper  with  jack-screws.  If  it  were  a  matter  of 
free  beer  now,  or  a  new  sex  dance,  the  people  would 
run  after  you.  But  if  you  urge  a  purer  truth  or  a 
higher  justice  on  men,  you  have  your  job  cut  out  for 
you.  Be  patient  therefore  with  those  who  are  trying 
to  educate  the  Church,  and  remember  in  fairness  that 
the  Church  is  not  a  picked  club  of  a  few  radicals,  but 
a  cross-section  of  the  whole  nation.  It  is  slow  be¬ 
cause  it  includes  the  conservative  masses.  The  man  in 
a  hurry  does  not  realize  how  slowly  the  mass  of  hu¬ 
manity  moves  and  changes  in  other  spheres  of  life.”  If 
it  really  took  millions  of  years  to  develop  personality 
and  moral  consciousness  in  man,  then  the  Church’s 
record  of  spiritual  and  moral  achievements  during  not 
quite  two  thousand  years  is  very  creditable. 

3.  General  Historical  Reasons  for  Arrested  Social 
Progress .  (1)  Fervent  expectation  of  a  sudden  de¬ 

scent  of  the  kingdom  of  God  from  heaven  in  perfected 
form  at  Christ’s  second  coming  had  the  tendency  to 
minimize  the  efforts  of  the  Christians  for  gradual 
regeneration  (1  Cor.  7:29-31).  (2)  Through  the 

influence  of  the  Greek  Mystery  Cults  the  emphasis  was 
shifted  from  the  this-worldly  to  the  next-worldly 
aspect  of  Christianity.  Christ  became  a  Redeemer 
from  earthliness,  and  a  blessed  immortality  beyond  the 
skies  became  the  goal.  Christ’s  emphasis  on  the  king¬ 
dom  of  God  here  and  now  on  earth  receded  to  the 


264 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


background.  (3)  Actual  reconstruction  of  the  Graeco- 
Roman  civilization  was  impossible ;  for  by  the  time  the 
Church  had  gained  sufficient  power  to  exercise  a  con¬ 
trolling  influence,  Graeco-Roman  civilization  had 
broken  down  under  the  impact  of  the  Teutonic  nations, 
and  from  the  ruins  thereof,  as  remarked  before,  the 
Church  saved  as  many  precious  elements  as  possible 
for  use  in  the  construction  of  the  new  Christian  or 
Western  civilization  (“  Christ  and  Civilization,”  239). 
(4)  Moreover,  many  Christians  believed  literally  that 
the  Roman  Empire  was  controlled  by  demon  powers 
and  therefore  should  not  and  could  not  be  saved  as  a 
whole.  Their  line  of  reasoning  was  similar  to  that  of 
modern  red  radicals  who  regard  what  they  call  the 
“  capitalistic  civilization  ”  so  fundamentally  wrong  that 
they  refuse  to  assist  in  saving  and  reforming  it 
(Harnack,  “  Expansion  of  Christianity,”  Bk.  II,  chap. 
2).  (5)  When  in  the  fourth  century  Christianity  be¬ 

came  the  state  religion  of  the  Roman  Empire  and  later 
of  all  the  other  Christianized  nations,  the  hierarchy 
became  a  part  of  the  state  machinery  and  as  such  a 
“  pillar  of  despotism  and  a  foe  of  liberty.”  Christ’s 
social  ideals  were  either  honestly  misunderstood,  or 
intentionally  ignored  or  explained  away.  The  very 
evils  which  Jesus  had  relentlessly  denounced  were  per¬ 
petrated  in  Christ’s  name.  (6)  Greek  love  of  philos¬ 
ophy  and  abstract  speculation  soon  shifted  the  em¬ 
phasis  in  religion  from  Christ’s  demand  to  establish 
“  kingdom  conditions  ”  in  this  world  to  a  supposed 
necessity  of  accepting  hair-splitting  definitions  of  mat¬ 
ters  which  in  their  very  nature  go  beyond  finite  reason. 
To  this  the  Romans  added  their  predilection  for  rites, 
ceremonies  and  forms  of  church  government. 

4.  Special  Reasons  for  Neglecting  Social  Salvation . 


I 


THE  FAILURE  OP  THE  CHURCH 


265 


(1)  During  the  Middle  Ages  the  Church  became  one 
of  the  two  wealthiest  property  holders  and  her  leaders 
were  therefore  opposed  to  any  such  changes  as  con¬ 
templated  in  the  Gospel.  (2)  In  the  Catholic  Church 
it  was  the  Monkish,  ascetic  ideal  of  life  which  blinded 
the  eyes  of  men  to  the  true  meaning  of  Christ’s  teach¬ 
ing  on  God’s  kingdom.  The  low  estimate  put  upon 
man’s  natural  instincts  for  marriage  and  property  dis¬ 
couraged  any  reconstruction  of  society  on  a  Christian 
basis.  Not  to  inv ade  but  to  £vade  the  world  became 
the  test  of  true  piety.  (3)  At  the  Reformation  the 
Church  took  over  the  economic  system  of  the  country 
with  its  industrial  serfdom,  its  grinding  poverty  and 
glaring  injustice,  its  terrible  laws  framed  in  the  in¬ 
terests  of  the  rich  for  the  oppression  of  the  poor.  It 
became  the  champion  of  property  and  was  often  blind 
to  the  claims  of  personality.  With  brilliant  exceptions, 
the  pulpit  stood  for  conventional  and  convenient  ethics. 
(Luther’s  and  Zwingli’s  attitude  to  the  Peasants’ 
War.)  (4)  The  Protestant  denominations  have  em¬ 
phasized  the  salvation  of  the  individual  almost  to  the 
exclusion  of  social  regeneration.  When  one  “  could 
read  his  title  clear  to  mansions  in  the  skies,”  society  as 
a  whole  might  shift  along  in  these  terrestrial  scenes  as 
best  it  could.  (5)  In  modern  times  opposition  in  the 
Church  to  the  stress  upon  Christ’s  social  Gospel  is 
largely  due  to  a  misunderstanding  of  this  phrase,  or  to 
lack  of  adequate  information  on  the  real  inside  of 
economic  and  world  conditions,  or  to  selfish  propa¬ 
ganda. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 


WHAT  MUST  THE  CHURCH  DO  TO  BE 
SAVED  HERSELF? 

Parallel  Readings: 

Elwood,  C.  A.,  “  The  Reconstruction  of  Religion.” 

Richards,  Geo.  W.,  “  The  Heidelberg  Catechism  ”  (two  chapters 
on  Religious  Education). 

Tittle,  E.  J.,  “What  Must  the  Church  Do  to  be  Saved?” 
Speer,  R.,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  45. 

Slatery,  “  The  Church  and  Its  American  Opportunity,”  167-207. 
Fosdick,  H.  E.,  “Progressive  Christianity,”  and  “The  New 
Knowledge  and  the  Christian  Faith.” 

Russell,  B.,  “  Why  Men  Fight,”  215-244  (Religion  and  the 
Churches). 

Coffin,  J.  W.,  “  The  Socialized  Conscience.” 

Scott — Gilmore,  “  The  Church,  the  People  and  the  Age.” 
Williams,  C.  D.,  “  The  Prophetic  Ministry.” 

Williams,  C.  D.,  “  The  Christian  Ministry  and  Social  Problems,” 
86-133. 

Royce,  J.,  “The  Problem  of  Christianity.” 

Strayer,  P.  M.,  “  The  Reconstruction  of  the  Church.” 

Thomson,  J.  A.,  “  The  Outline  of  Science.” 

Johnson,  F.  E.,  “The  Social  Gospel  and  Personal  Religion: 
Are  They  in  Conflict?” 

Wright,  W.  K.,  “  A  Student's  Philosophy  of  Religion.” 

Hunter,  R.,  “  Why  We  Fail  as  Christians.” 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Dare  We  to  be  Christians?  ” 

Eucken,  “May  We  Still  be  Christians?” 

Hardwick,  J.  C.,  “  Religion  and  Science.” 

Schenck,  “Biblical  Sociology,”  363. 

Schmucker,  “  The  Meaning  of  Evolution. 

Bryan,  W.  J.,  “  In  His  Image.” 

Vedder,  “  The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of 
Democracy,”  1-84. 


2  66 


WHAT  MUST  THE  CHURCH  DO?  267 

Rauschenbusch,  “A  Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  1-30, 
and  70. 

Mathews,  “  The  Church  and  the  Changing  Order.” 

Vedder,  “  The  Fundamentals  of  Christianity.” 

Chriestlieb,  T.,  “  Modern  Doubt  and  Christian  Belief,”  1-67. 
Hastings,  “Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,”  VIII,  763. 
Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  458. 

Cooke,  G.  W.,  “The  Social  Evolution  of  Religion.” 

Palmer,  W.  $.,  “  Where  Science  and  Religion  Meet.” 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  30-36. 

Bruce,  “  Kingdom  of  God,”  chap.  XV. 

White,  A.  D.,  “  History  of  the  Warfare  of  Science  with 
Theology  in  Christendom.” 

Draper,  “  Conflict  Between  Science  and  Religion.” 

Buckham,  “  Progress  of  Religious  Thought  in  America.” 
Sinclair,  “Cry  of  Justice,”  no,  128,  356,  386,  393,  412,  764. 
Wood,  W.  H.,  “  The  Religion  of  Science.” 

Gerard,  John,  “The  Old  Riddle  and  the  Newest  Answer” 
(Evol.). 

Wasman,  Eric,  “  Modern  Biology  and  the  Theory  of  Evolu¬ 
tion.” 

Muckermann,  H.,  “  Attitude  of  Catholics  toward  Evolution.” 


I.  The  Church  Must  Take  Her  Own  Medicine 

1.  In  this  new  epoch  of  human  history,  which  the 
World  War  (1914-1918)  has  ushered  in,  the  demand 
becomes  louder  every  day,  inside  and  outside  of  the 
Church,  at  home  and  abroad,  that  the  Church  should 
make  a  much  larger  contribution  to  world  reconstruc¬ 
tion  than  hitherto,  by  a  more  fearless  discharge  of  her 
peculiar  mission  as  God’s  prophet  to  the  nations,  that 
is,  by  a  stricter  and  more  uncompromising  proclama¬ 
tion  of  the  Social  Gospel  in  the  sense  in  which  Christ 
according  to  the  New  Testament  records  taught  it. 
But  in  order  to  save  others  one  must  be  saved  himself.  \- 
So,  as  we  have  seen  that  the  Church  is  only  partially 
in  a  saved  condition,  we  will  discuss  in  this  chapter 


268 


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what  the  Church  must  do  to  be  herself  more  fully 
saved  and  in  the  next,  what  she  then  can  do  to  assist 
in  saving  society. 

Note  I.  Here,  as  throughout  this  book,  the  terms  “  lost  ”  and 
‘‘saved”  are  taken  in  their  strict  New  Testament  sense  and  not 
as  they  are  popularly  understood;  “lost'”  meaning  estranged 
from  God  and  the  Divine  ideals  of  righteousness  in  principle  and 
practice,  and  “  saved  ”  denoting  a  gradual  deliverance  here  and 
now  from  sin  as  a  principle  which  is  seffishness  and  from  sins  as 
concrete  transgressions  of  God’s  law,  such,  e.  g.,  as  enumerated  in 
Romans  i :  29-31 ;  Galatians  5 :  19-21. 

Note  2.  Our  question  is  not,  What  must  the  Church  do  to 
live?  The  Church  is  not  going  to  die,  for  her  membership  is 
large  and  her  power  still  very  great.  But  there  is  a  lurking 
danger  that  the  Church  may  remain  alive,  but  lose  more  and  more 
of  her  influence  for  good.  The  real  danger  for  the  Church  lies 
in  stagnation,  as  in  Eastern  lands,  in  loss  of  vitality  and  in  abus¬ 
ing  her  power  for  blocking  progress,  as  our  Lord  implies  in 
Matthew  5 :  13-16.  Hence  our  question  means,  what  must  the 
Church  do  to  be  saved  from  inefficiency,  and  to  become  a  leading 
factor  in  the  reconstruction  of  civilization  which  is  under  way. 

2.  Following  her  Lord’s  commission,  the  Church 
lays  down  as  conditions  of  individual  salvation,  re¬ 
pentance,  faith  and  right  conduct.  Now,  in  order  to 
be  saved  herself  as  an  organization  and  in  her  various 
divisions,  the  Church  must  practice  what  she  preaches. 
This  involves  the  following  details: 

(1)  The  true  prophets  of  God  within  the  Church 
must  make  continuous  and  strenuous  efforts  to  bring 
her  to  a  true  realization  of  her  lost  condition  with 
respect  to  the  subjects  mentioned  in  the  previous  chap¬ 
ter.  Self-sufficiency  and  self-complacency,  culminating 
in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  the  dogma  of  papal 
infallibility,  is  the  strongest  barrier  to  being  saved. 
Much  of  the  criticism  directed  against  the  Church,  her 
leaders  and  members,  is  indeed,  unintelligent,  unsym- 


WHAT  MUST  THE  CHUECH  DO  1 


269 


pathetic  and  greatly  exaggerated;  yet  if  it  succeeds  in 
arousing  the  Churches  to  cry  out  sincerely:  “  God  be 
merciful  to  me,  a  sinner,”  we  will  call  it  a  blessing  in 
disguise. 

(2)  Being  convicted  of  manifold  sins  of  omission 
and  commission  in  the  past  and  present,  the  Church  as 
an  organization  must  repent  of  her  shortcomings  and 
positive  sins  in  the  past  as  recorded  in  history  and  must 
more  sincerely  believe  in  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom 
and  its  three  great  laws.  The  normal  functioning  of 
repentance  and  faith  the  New  Testament  calls  conver¬ 
sion ,  a  “  facing  about.”  All  the  Churches  are  in  great 
need  of  a  more  thorough  conversion  to  Christ,  that  is, 
to  His  authority  and  teaching;  to  His  spirit  of  love, 
service  and  sacrifice;  to  His  aim  which  is  full,  all- 
around  salvation;  to  His  method ,  treating  causes  and 
not  merely  symptoms. 

II.  A  More  Comprehensive  Type  of  Religious 

Teaching 

1.  In  order  to  discharge  the  Divine  Mission  en¬ 
trusted  to  her  with  greater  efficiency  the  Church  of 
to-day  is  in  urgent  need  of  a  theology  which  expresses 
the  social  aspects  of  Christ’s  Gospel  in  the  same  pro¬ 
portion  and  with  the  same  emphasis  as  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  does.  The  world-conquering  “  faith  of  the  fa¬ 
thers  ”  which  was  once  for  all  delivered  unto  the  saints 
(Jude  3)  must  most  assuredly  remain  intact,  but  for 
this  very  reason  every  age  was  led  by  God’s  Spirit  to 
recast  its  theology,  constructing  a  new  theology  for 
the  old  faith;  for  systematic  theology  is  essentially 
philosophy,  that  is,  a  serious  human  attempt  to  system¬ 
atize,  prove  and  balance  the  truths  of  God’s  revelation 
and  religious  experience  in  the  thought  forms  and  lan- 


270 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


guage  of  the  age.  (See  Harnack’s,  Neander’s  or 
Shedd’s  “  History  of  Dogma.”) 

2.  In  addition  to  the  well-tested  theological  funda¬ 
mentals,  the  need  of  the  modern  Church  requires  the 
formulation  and  authoritative  adoption  of  ethical  and 
social  dogmas  on  subjects  like  love,  human  brotherhood 
and  its  implications,  war  and  pacifism,  etc.  There  has 
always  been  plenty  of  good  private  teaching  on  these 
subjects  in  the  Church,  but  no  well-defined  dogmas 
which  the  Church  was  determined  to  enforce  upon  her 
ministers  and  people  with  the  same  earnestness  as  she 
does  her  theological  dogmas. 

3.  The  modern  Church  must  teach  only  Christ’s 
true  Gospel.  After  what  Christ  taught  of  the  old 
wine  skins,  and  what  St.  Paul  and  Hebrews  taught 
concerning  the  non-obligation  of  the  Old  Covenant  it 
should  be  an  axiom  among  Christians  that  “  the  ethical 
and  moral  standards  of  the  Old  Testament  must  be 
measured  by  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  that  some  of  the  stories  in  the  Old  Testament  do 
not  reveal  the  will  and  character  of  God,  but  only  re¬ 
flect  the  conception  of  God  held  by  the  writers  of  that 
time.”  But,  alas,  just  as  in  former  times  slavery, 
polygamy,  etc.,  were  defended  by  quoting  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  passages,  so  to-day  well-meaning  ministers  try  to 
show  from  the  Old  Testament  that  our  Heavenly  Fa¬ 
ther  whom  the  New  Testament  glorifies  as  the  “  God 
of  Peace,”  is  really  “  a  God  of  War  ”  because  an  Old 
Testament  war-song  of  primitive  times  declares 
“Jehovah  is  a  God  of  War.”  Again:  a  considerable 
amount  of  those  hair-splitting  creedal  statements  on 
matters  which  in  their  very  nature  are  insoluble  mys¬ 
teries  is  mere  theological  speculation  and  not  at  all  of 
the  essence  of  Christ’s  own  Gospel  as  this  is  under- 


WHAT  MUST  THE  CHURCH  DO  f 


271 


stood  in  the  New  Testament.  All  the  Reformers,  espe¬ 
cially  Luther,  made  these  distinctions  very  prominent 
(Clarke,  “  The  Use  of  the  Scripture,”  etc.). 

4.  On  the  other  hand  the  Church  must  teach  all 
of  Christ’s  Gospel — unabridged,  unmutilated,  “  un¬ 
shortened,”  including  its  social  applications.  The  so¬ 
cial  ideals  of  Christ  are  so  high  above  our  present 
social,  industrial,  commercial  and  political  conditions 
that  even  to  many  Christians  they  seem  Utopian,  un¬ 
realizable,  even  grotesque — too  good  to  be  taken  seri¬ 
ously.  Hence  many  of  the  grandest  teachings  of  Jesus 
are  explained  away,  toned  down,  individualized,  or 
spiritualized,  so  that  their  social  content  gradually 
evaporates.  They  are  pared  down  to  what  men  think 
He  ought  to  have  meant  in  order  to  suit  them  to  the 
conditions  of  our  times.  This  is  all  wrong.  Let  the 
Church  preach  Christ’s  Gospel  with  intellectual  hon¬ 
esty,  allowing  it  to  speak  for  itself.  And  if  the  Lord’s 
social  teachings  seem  too  idealistic  compared  with 
our  present  unchristian  economic  system,  let  us  frankly 
confess  it,  at  the  same  time  encouraging  the  people  to 
make  social  conditions  conform  to  Christ’s  ideal,  rather 
than  lowering  the  ideals;  for  high  ideals  are  the  best 
things  the  Church  can  give  to  men. 

Note  I.  A  phrase  has  been  recently  invented,  “  the  simple 
gospel,”  which  according  to  the  usual  interpretation  put  upon  it 
rather  means  an  emasculated  gospel,  a  gospel  with  one-half  or 
three-fourths  of  its  substance  omitted,  a  gospel  which  would  keep 
Christians  from  concerning  themselves  about  things  like  right¬ 
eous  business,  fair  elections,  abolition  of  poverty  and  war,  etc. 
So  when  ministers  hammer  away  at  the  sins  of  Egypt,  4,000 
years  ago  and  of  Paris,  4,000  miles  away,  they  are  said  to  preach 
the  “  simple  gospel  ” ;  but  when  they  say  the  same  things  about 
affairs  in  America  then  they  are  criticized  for  preaching  politics 
(Vedder,  “Gospel  of  Jesus,”  28,  31,  39). 


272 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Note  2.  The  Bulletin  of  the  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches 
of  Christ  in  America  published  in  1922  the  following  excellent 
exposition : 

Let  us  be  done  with  setting  the  “  social  gospel  ”  and  the  “  gospel 
for  the  individual  ”  over  against  each  other.  Each  is  but  a  partial 
phase  of  one  indivisible  whole.  The  “  good  news  ”  announced  by 
Jesus  is  a  message  for  the  transformation  of  personal  character, 
but  character  is  a  matter  of  social  relationships.  There  is  no 
such  thing  as  an  isolated  individual  dwelling  in  a  social  vacuum, 
any  more  than  there  is  a  society  which  is  not  made  up  of  individ¬ 
uals.  So  there  can  be  no  real  preaching  of  the  individual  gospel 
apart  from  its  social  meaning,  nor  any  effective  proclamation  of 
the  social  gospel  that  does  not  rest  on  an  appeal  to  individual 
hearts  and  wills.  Let  us  teach  the  gospel  in  its  fullness  and  its 
unity,  remembering  the  Apostle’s  word  to  “  declare  the  whole 
counsel  of  God.”  The  social  teachings  of  our  religion  are  not 
something  added  to  the  Gospel  of  Jesus,  but  an  integral  part 
thereof. 

It  should  he  stressed ,  that  to  save  the  individual  members  of 
society  is  not  all  that  is  necessary  to  the  saving  of  society  as  a 
zohole.  If  we  are  to  have  a  Christian  society,  Christians  must 
come  to  a  common  mind  on  the  meaning  of  Christianity  for 
contemporary  issues  and  then  express  that  mind  so  unitedly  as  to 
influence  public  opinion.  The  minister  who  makes  it  his  only 
business  to  save  individual  souls,  neither  minds  his  business  nor 
understands  what  it  is. 

The  glorious  declaration  of  the  Bible  that  God  loved  the  world 
so  intensely  that  He  gave  His  own  Son  to  save  it,  is  meant  for 
the  individual  members  of  the  world  as  well  as  for  the  whole 
universe  collectively,  including  our  family,  business,  national  and 
international  relations. 

Changed  environment,  however,  is  not  a  substitute  for  a 
changed  heart.  Nor  shall  we  get  a  greatly  changed  environment 
until  men’s  hearts  are  changed.  The  City  of  God  will  never  be 
built  on  the  earth  at  all  except  as  individual  men  and  women 
in  increasing  numbers  find  a  new  motive  and  new  power  in  their 
lives  and  deliberately  commit  themselves  to  the  way  of  brother¬ 
hood  and  love  and  service  incarnated  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Note  3.  On  the  same  point  Bishop  Williams  writes:  “The 
morals  and  ethics  of  the  Church  are  not  big  enough,  nor  their 
services  adequate.  She  preaches  for  the  most  part  a  narrow  and 


WHAT  MUST  THE  CHUECH  DO  I 


273 


petty  round  of  ethics,  the  minor  moralities  of  purely  personal  con¬ 
duct,  respectabilities,  good  form,  technical  pieties  and  ecclesiastical 
proprieties,  while  the  age  is  seeking  the  larger  righteousness  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  which  is  human  society  organized  according  to 
the  will  of  God.”  To  the  same  effect  Dr.  John  Bomberger  once 
wrote :  “  The  day  is  past  when  the  wage-earners  will  tolerate  the 
substitution  of  emphasis  placed  upon  the  compensating  joys  of 
heaven  for  effort  to  ameliorate  the  harsh  conditions  of  earth  which 
are  the  outcome  of  human  greed  and  inhuman  indifference  to  a 
brother’s  weal.”  Similarly  Professor  Ely  writes :  “  The  Church 
has,  in  recent  years,  contented  herself  with  repeating  platitudes 
and  vague  generalities  which  have  disturbed  no  guilty  soul,  and 
thus  she  has  allowed  the  leadership  in  social  reconstruction  to 
slip  away  from  her.  It  can,  then,  scarcely  excite  surprise  that  the 
labour  movements  have  become  materialistic  and  infidel.” 

5.  But  the  Church  must  press  personal  regenera¬ 
tion  not  merely  as  a  feeder  of  social  morality  but  be¬ 
cause  it  has  a  supreme  value  for  its  own  sake,  being 
the  only  method  of  the  highest  unfolding  of  life  itself. 
As  comparisons  between  nations,  groups  and  individ¬ 
uals  show,  the  Church  throughout  the  ages  has  an  un¬ 
rivaled  record  in  developing  millions  of  the  finest  char¬ 
acters  among  young  and  old.  And  non-Christians  who 
claim  to  be  just  as  good  as  Christians  should  not  forget 
that,  if  their  claim  is  true,  they  are  living  on  borrowed 
capital.  This  her  specialty  the  Church  must  never 
neglect.  “  Work  out  your  own  salvation  with  fear 
and  trembling,”  says  Paul,  for  each  needs  salvation 
for  his  own  sake,  because  in  the  best  social  order  that 
is  conceivable  there  will  still  be  men  who  smoulder  with 
lust  and  ambition.  No  material  comfort  can  satisfy 
the  restless  soul  in  us  and  give  us  peace. 

6.  As  to  spirit  and  content  the  Church’s  teaching 
should  be  positive,  affirmative,  not  controversial,  not 
airing  one’s  doubts.  “  Intellectual  honesty  ”  does  not 
require  a  teacher  in  any  department  of  knowledge  to 


274 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


emphasize  unduly  all  that  might  be  said  against  a  cer¬ 
tain  teaching.  Even  so  liberal  a  theologian  as  Pro¬ 
fessor  Karl  Budde  of  Strassburg  said:  “There  is  so 
much  in  the  Bible  which  is  perfectly  plain,  and  so  vital 
to  piety,  so  necessary  to  men  who  are  seeking  to  know 
God  and  to  qualify  them  for  the  life  that  is  to  come, 
that  by  the  time  you  get  all  of  this  into  the  lives  of 
your  people  I  think  the  good  Lord  will  let  you  go 
home.”  Preachers  who  are  tempted  to  speak  of  their 
doubts  rather  than  of  their  faith  may  well  take  notice 
of  this  wise  counsel. 

7.  The  American  Church  must  attend  more  as¬ 
siduously  than  hitherto  to  her  teaching  function,  espe¬ 
cially  among  the  rising  generation  and  the  educated 
classes  of  her  people.  If  the  Church  is  to  hold  its  own 
among  the  leaders  of  the  next  generations  she  must 
offer  more  opportunities  for  religious  education,  in 
part  directly  and  partly  by  influencing  other  educa¬ 
tional  forces  of  the  land.  In  the  educational  work  of 
the  Church,  the  Church  Paper  and  other  Christian 
literature  should  occupy  a  conspicuous  place.  (See 
Chapter  12  on  “  Education.”) 


Question: 

Why  will  it  pay  a  denomination  to  assist  in  the  publishing  of  a 
first-class  church  organ,  even  if  it  does  not  cover  it's  own  ex-> 
penses? 

8.  The  “salvation”  of  the  American  Church  re¬ 
quires  a  larger  proportion  of  learned  men  among  her 
pastors,  professors  and  editors,  because  the  level  of 
general  education  has  risen  while  the  literary,  philo¬ 
sophical  and  historical  training  of  the  bulk  of  the 
American  clergy  has  fallen.  The  contents,  structure 
and  deliverance  of  thousands  of  sermons  is  an  offense 


WHAT  MUST  THE  CHUECH  DO  f 


275 


to  the  average  intelligence  of  churchgoers,  not  to  speak 
of  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  educated  men  and 
women  who  fortunately  still  throng  our  churches 
every  Sunday.  A  high  education  does  not  interfere 
with  “  practicalness  ”  which  is  the  demand  in  America, 
for  all  the  great  men  that  have  done  things  were  of  a 
highly  intellectual  type,  such  as  Paul,  St.  Augustine, 
the  Reformers,  etc.  A  leader  of  others  must  be  up 
to  date  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  When,  e .  g.,  in  past 
ages  false  philosophies  threatened  the  life  of  the 
Church  she  trained  her  theologians  in  philosophy  to 
meet  the  issue.  To-day  the  social  questions  monopolize 
the  thinking  and  actions  of  men,  hence  colleges  and 
seminaries  must  equip  the  future  ministers  along  those 
lines. 

9.  The  Church  must  learn  to  limit  herself  to  her 
specialty,  which  is  to  act  as  God’s  prophet  who,  on  the 
basis  of  Christ’s  Gospel,  is  to  set  forth  general  Chris¬ 
tian  principles  of  right  conduct  (but  not  in  the  sense 
of  windy  generalities),  leaving  all  concrete  measures 
and  details  to  those  trained  for  the  task.  This  means 
that  the  Church  must  retire  from  many  things  where 
she  never  had  any  business  to  interfere,  as  for  instance, 
when  she  assumed  to  dictate  in  questions  of  science, 
philosophy  and  the  details  of  business  and  politics. 
For  example,  while  a  minister  should  acquire  some 
general  knowledge  of  what  is  going  on  in  the  scientific 
world  he  had  better  leave  special  scientific  investiga¬ 
tions  and  summary  judgments  as  to  their  value  in  the 
hands  of  those  whose  calling  and  responsibility  it  is  to 
make  them  and  give  the  world  the  results.  And  the 
scientist  should  do  likewise  with  respect  to  the  pro¬ 
found  questions  raised  by  scientific  theology  and  phi¬ 
losophy,  for  the  realm  of  knowledge  is  to-day  so  vast 


276 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


that  one  group  of  investigators  usually  lacks  the  equip¬ 
ment  which  would  entitle  their  word  to  respect  on 
questions  in  which  they  have  not  specialized. 

Note  l.  On  tke  above  points,  both  the  clergy  and  the  scientists 
have  erred.  The  theologian  has  often  regarded  a  conflict  between 
an  old  interpretation  of  Bible  passages  and  the  new  claims  of 
science  as  a  conflict  between  religion  and  science.  But  this  is 
absolutely  impossible,  because  what  the  Creator  has  written  into 
His  creation  will  never  conflict  with  His  other  methods  of  revela¬ 
tion.  The  rash  scientist,  on  the  other  hand,  has  often  proclaimed 
mere  hypotheses  as  ascertained  scientific  facts.  One  should  never 
try  to  discredit  the  other,  for  each  group  is  trying  to  interpret 
one  of  the  two  methods  of  God’s  revelation  of  Himself.  (See 
Steinmetz  on  “  Science  and  Religion.”)  The  Protestant  Church 
should  be  especially  careful  not  to  fall  into  the  error  of  the 
Catholic  Church  which  has  always  shown  an  unfailing  instinct 
for  taking  the  wrong  side  of  every  new  scientific  question  that 
comes  up.  For,  in  the  words  of  Dr.  Horton,  “  They  who  shut 
their  minds  against  proved  facts  of  science  are  closing  their  ears 
to  the  voice  of  God,  and  when  they  do  it  in  the  interests  of  what 
they  would  call  the  Word  of  God  they  are  adding  blasphemy  to 
ignorance.”  Nothing  could  be  more  disastrous  to  religion  than 
to  have  the  Church  become  the  center  of  opposition  to  the  in¬ 
tellectual  life  of  the  age  or  to  have  the  representatives  of  science 
feel  that  religion  is  apart  from  them.  What  the  effect  of  such 
separation  might  be  is  easily  seen  in  France,  Spain  and  Italy 
where  the  representatives  of  the  two  camps  occupy  mutual  hostile 
attitudes.  The  easiest  way  to  alienate  scientific  men  is  to  de¬ 
nounce  science  and  its  results. 

Note  2 .  The  above  does  not  mean  that  the  Church  is  to  gulp 
down  unexamined  all  that  is  proclaimed  to  the  world  as  “  science.” 
For  just  as  a  great  deal  of  what  is  termed  religion  is  merely 
ignorance  and  superstition,  so  also  much  of  what  goes  under 
the  name  of  “  science  ”  parades  in  the  swaddling  clothes  of 
ignorance  and  credulity  and  fraud.  For  example,  many  books 
advocating  evolution  contain  a  wonderful  conglomeration  of 
unsubstantiated  assertions.  As  Dr.  Bavink  of  Elberfeld  in  the 
second  edition  of  his  “Ergebnisse  und  Probleme  der  Natur- 
wissenschaft,”  shows,  many  real  scientists,  some  of  very  high 
rank,  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  evolution  is  at  present 


WHAT  MUST  THE  CHURCH  DO  ! 


277 


hardly  more  than  a  very  plausible  but  unproved  hypothesis  (hence, 
not  at  all  “  science,”  from  “  scire,”  to  know)  and  that  the  ardent 
evolutionists  are  still  paying  their  evidence-bills  with  promissory 
notes  drawn  on  the  indefinite  future. 


III.  The  Need  of  a  More  United  Church 

1.  Organization  and  efficient  leadership  are  essen¬ 
tial  to  success  in  saving  the  Church.  The  unsocial 
forces  are  strongly  organized  and  effectively  led  in  al¬ 
most  every  field  of  group  work,  among  big  business 
men  as  well  as  among  certain  types  of  labour  organi¬ 
zations.  The  men  and  boys  of  our  churches  are  there¬ 
fore  in  great  danger  of  being  carried  away  by  un¬ 
sound  ethical  and  social  principles  urged  upon  them  by 
their  well-organized  fellow-workers  in  the  factories. 
Unless  the  American  Protestant  churches  organize 
their  boys  and  men  along  religious,  social,  industrial 
and  political  lines,  they  will  lose  them  by  the  tens  of 
thousands  and  the  work  of  world-reconstruction  which 
is  under  way  will  not  show  many  traces  of  church 
influence.  The  Catholic  Church  all  over  the  world  has 
been  very  active  in  organizing  her  men.  In  America 
several  million  Catholic  men  are  found  in  organiza¬ 
tions,  the  Knights  of  Columbus  alone  having  a  mem¬ 
bership  of  one  million.  Instead  of  discrediting  this  line 
of  Catholic  activity,  the  Protestants  should  go  and  do 
likewise.  The  Protestants  of  Europe  are  doing  it. 
Good  beginnings  have  been  made  by  organizing  Broth¬ 
erhoods  in  the  Evangelical  Synod  of  North  America 
and  by  several  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Church  bodies. 

2.  American  Protestantism  is  in  dire  need  of  a 
larger  measure  of  practical  and  efficient  church  federa¬ 
tion  and  organic  union.  In  considering  the  problem 
of  modern  church  federation  its  social,  political  and 


278 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


economic  value  should  also  be  stressed.  Church  union 

(1)  eliminates  many  unsocial  features  from  the  lives 
of  men  such  as  jealousy,  pride,  censoriousness,  etc.; 

(2)  it  diminishes  waste  in  money,  buildings  and  min¬ 
isters;  (3)  it  enables  the  Church  to  do  social  uplift 
work  on  a  larger  scale;  (4)  it  strengthens  the  national 
consciousness.  Nothing,  e.  g.,  has  weakened  England, 
Germany,  Holland  and  France  more  than  their  so- 
called  “  religious  ”  wars  in  past  centuries,  aroused  by 
theological  animosities;  (5)  it  strengthens  the  influ¬ 
ence  of  the  Church  upon  the  government  by  presenting 
a  united  front. 

Question: 

What  is  being  done  at  present  in  Europe  and  America  to 
federate  the  Protestant  denominations  into  efficient  working  or¬ 
ganizations  ? 

3.  The  Church  must  remain  what  she  always  has 
been,  the  most  democratic  institution  on  earth,  and 
perhaps  the  only  true  one.  She  is  not  a  capitalistic 
class  institution  as  is  sometimes  charged  by  ill-informed 
and  hostile  outsiders;  neither  should  she  become  the 
“  Party  of  the  Poor,”  because  she  touches  problems 
common  to  the  poor  as  well  as  the  rich.  Everybody 
ought  to  know  that  the  capitalists  are  in  a  hopeless 
minority  in  the  Church  and  that  the  great  rank  and 
file  of  Christians  in  it  are  wage-earners.  The  ministry 
is  the  most  poorly  paid  class  among  them.  The 
Church’s  glory  is  her  all-inclusiveness,  her  outstretched 
hand  to  every  man,  woman  and  child  of  whatever  race 
or  class  or  condition.  Her  glory  fades  when  once  she 
draws  a  line  of  distinction  between  rich  and  poor,  or 
high  and  low.  Here  and  there  an  individual  congre¬ 
gation  may  be  in  danger  of  drawing  such  a  line,  but 


WHAT  MUST  THE  CHURCH  DO  f 


279 


it  does  so  in  defiance  of  the  Church  as  a  whole.  In 
the  words  of  Phillips  Brooks,  “  One  of  the  noblest 
functions  of  the  Church  in  the  world  is  to  lie  behind 
the  class  crystallization  of  mankind  like  a  solvent  into 
which  they  shall  return  and  blend  with  one  another.” 
According  to  Professor  Geo.  W.  Richards,  “  the  su¬ 
preme  task  of  the  Church  should  be  the  ministry  of 
reconciliation,  to  reconcile  man  to  God,  group  to  group, 
nation  to  nation,  church  to  church  ”  (2  Cor.  5:  18). 

Note  i.  The  following  figures  help  to  answer  the  question, 
who  owns  the  Church?  They  were  compiled  in  and  around 
Pittsburgh,  from  thirty-eight  churches  found  in  the  wealthy 
neighbourhoods,  the  moderately  well-to-do  neighbourhoods,  and 
the  congested  districts.  Twenty-one  thousand  members  were 
tabulated  as  to  their  economic  station.  Here  is  the  result: 

Per  cent,  total. 


Professional  people  .  9.5 

Capitalists  and  large  employers .  6.5 

Small  business  people .  7.0 

Wage-earners,  total  .  77.0 

Wage-earners,  in  offices .  32.0 

Wage-earners,  manual .  45.0 

Skilled  mechanics  . 28.0 

Unskilled  labour  . . .  17.0 


“  These  figures  are  of  Protestant  Churches,  and  it’  is  of  course 
obvious  that  were  Catholic  churches  added  the  diversity  would  be 
even  more  marked.  Who  owns  the  Church?  The  answer  is,  the 
people,  by  77  per  cent.” 

Note  2.  Yet  the  fact  is  indisputable  that  the  alienation  of  the 
wage-earners  from  the  Church  is  alarming,  especially  in  Europe 
and  in  Catholic  countries.  In  America  the  Church  must  prevent 
a  stampede  which,  however,  cannot  be  done  by  “  spiritual  snob¬ 
bery”  in  which  it  imagines  it  can  “put  over”  something  in  the 
industrial  field  by  doing  something  for  the  workers,  and  thus 
winning  their  gratitude  and  allegiance,  but  by  beginning  in  hu¬ 
mility  to  seek  ideas  of  working  with  them  in  the  establishment 
of  sound  economic  relations,  so  that  the  every-day  work  of  the 


280 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


world  may  be  a  field  for  the  expression  of  real  brotherhood,  it 
will  have  found  the  key  to  the  solution  of  the  problem. 

Literature : 

Vedder,  “  The  Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democ¬ 
racy,”  44  and  46. 

Question:  Is  the  often  heard  assertion  true  that  to-day  neither 
John  the  Baptist,  nor  Jesus,  nor  Paul  would  be  tolerated  as  a 
preacher  or  professor  in  our  Protestant  Churches? 

4.  Our  congregations  must  not  be  allowed  to  sink 
to  the  level  of  mere  “  social  centers/’  important  as  this 
feature  may  be  (Gal.  6:  9,  10),  for  the  mystical  ele¬ 
ment  in  religion  and  emphasis  on  personal  religion  lies 
at  the  very  foundation  of  the  Church’s  true  moral 
efficiency.  There  are  many  people  who,  in  reaction 
from  extreme  orthodoxy,  have  come  to  feel  that  the 
sole  business  of  the  Church  is  to  push  social  reform. 
This  danger  is  particularly  strong  in  America  just  now 
because  social  workers  have  come  to  see  that  the 
Church,  instead  of  being  hostile  to  their  ideals,  is  the 
greatest  force  by  which  their  ideals  can  be  put  into 
operation.  But  we  cannot  let  social  service  take  the 
place  of  God.  People  cannot  be  amused  into  conscien¬ 
tiousness.  Picnics  are  not  the  equivalents  of  prayer- 
meetings,  and  Sunday-school  baseball  leagues  have  not 
yet  developed  into  revivals.  Church  leaders  can  dele¬ 
gate  to  institutions  certain  duties,  but  they  cannot  dele¬ 
gate  the  duties  of  spiritual  parentage.  A  Protestant 
church  cannot  be  an  ethical  orphan  asylum ;  it  must  be 
a  home  in  which  souls  are  born  into  newness  of  life. 

5.  The  American  Church  must  cultivate  in  minis¬ 
ters  and  members  moral  courage.  Tameness  is  empty¬ 
ing  many  churches.  There  is  no  use  in  trying  to  heal 
the  cancer  of  sin  with  soothing  syrup,  and  it  is  idle  to 
sprinkle  cologne  upon  the  putrid  iniquities  of  our 


WHAT  MUST  THE  CHUECH  DO  ! 


281 


j*\  ■ 

non-Christian  social  order.  The  Church  must  hang 
out  the  sign  in  a  conspicuous  place:  “  Not  for  sale!  ” 
She  is  such  a  powerful  and  respectable  institution  that 
kings,  and  nobles,  the  rich  as  well  as  the  radicals,  have 
made  bids  to  buy  her  influence  in  all  ages;  sometimes 
by  threats,  at  other  times  by  kindness.  The  latest 
intimidators  were  the  “  Lusk  Legislative  Committee 
in  New  York  ”  charging  the  Church  with  red  radical¬ 
ism  and  the  “  Employers’  Association  of  Pittsburgh,” 
threatening  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  and  the  Federal  Council 
of  the  Churches  of  Christ  with  a  financial  boycott  if 
they  did  not  cease  to  emphasize  the  social  implications 
of  Christ’s  Gospel.  But  with  all  their  faults,  no  one 
can  say  that  the  American  ministry  speaks  from  its 
pocketbooks  and  not  from  its  conscience.  A  storm  of 
protest  and  disgust  was  raised  in  the  churches  when 
these  attacks  became  known. 

Note  I.  Dr.  Fosdick  wrote:  We  will  buy  you /  they  say  to 
the  Churches  and,  in  particular,  to  the  ministers  of  the  Churches — 
‘If  you  will  do  as  we  say,  money;  if  not,  no  money/  May  I  be 
permitted  to  suggest  that  these  gentlemen  have  somewhat  seri¬ 
ously  misapprehended  the  temper  of  the  Christian  ministry  of 
America?  I  am  speaking  for  multitudes  of  my  brethren  when  I 
say,  ‘  Before  high  God,  not  for  sale !  ’  Indeed,  I  suspect  that  there 
has  been  a  crop  of  sermons  on  the  social  question  preached 
throughout  this  country  that  would  not  have  been  preached  if  it 
had  not  been  for  this  public  attack,  so  that  those  of  us  who 
are  interested  in  having  such  sermons  preached  might  almost 
thank  these  gentlemen  for  their  unintentional  assistance.  There 
would  have  been,  I  suppose,  no  Luther  if  there  had  been  no 
Tetzel,  and  if  there  had  been  no  George  the  Third  there  would 
have  been  no  George  Washington.” 

6.  Public  sentiment  in  the  churches  and  if  neces¬ 
sary  official  action  must  do  two  things  in  seasons  of 
storm  and  stress:  (1)  Curb  the  tongue  of  her  un- 


282 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


balanced  ministers  and  editors  clearly  disavowing  any 
expressions  of  a  hate-breeding,  nativistic  spirit  and 
the  use  of  gutter  language;  and  (2)  she  must  protect 
her  progressive  leaders  who  try  to  carry  out  the  de¬ 
liverances  made  by  the  church  bodies  themselves.  The 
man  who  to-day  proclaims  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  in  the 
spirit  of  his  Master  must  expect  misunderstanding, 
abuse  and  perhaps  persecution  (Vedder,  “The  Gospel 
of  Jesus,”  p.  VII).  This  tendency  of  the  times  is 
immensely  important,  and  no  greater  evil  could  come 
to  the  Church  than  that  her  prophets  should  be  influ¬ 
enced  to  allow  prudence  and  policy  to  silence  the  voice 
of  righteous  protest  and  brave  outspeaking  for  the 
truth.  One  reason  for  the  downfall  of  Israel  was  the 
fact  that  no  faithful  prophet  was  safe  among  them. 
“  Oh,  Jerusalem,  that  killest  the  prophets,”  said  Christ, 
pointing  to  Israel’s  bloody  past.  A  true  prophet,  speak¬ 
ing  God’s  truths  on  all  subjects,  is  a  nation’s  best 
friend,  and  a  people  that  persecutes  its  religious,  so¬ 
cial  and  political  prophets  is  cutting  off  its  own  head. 
Spain  killed  her  best  brains  during  the  Inquisition  and 
she  is  now  one  of  the  dying  nations.  France  has  never 
fully  recovered  from  the  killing  and  banishing  of  hun¬ 
dreds  of  thousands  of  Huguenots,  and  the  Bolsheviki 
have  deprived  Russia  of  her  best  brains  by  killing  her 
intellectuals.  Whatever  underhand  propaganda  may 
at  this  time  plan  against  the  preachers,  teachers  and 
authors  of  the  social  Gospel,  true  churchmen  and  loyal 
Americans  should  insist  that  these  men  must  be  pro¬ 
tected  in  their  work,  for  they  are  among  the  real 
friends  of  the  Church,  state  and  society.  Their  aim  is 
to  save  these  organisms  from  drifting  toward  the 
whirlpool  of  a  bloody  revolution. 

7.  Keep  the  distinction  between  the  Church  and  the 


WHAT  MUST  THE  CHURCH  DO  ? 


283 


various  political  and  social  reform  organizations 
clearly  before  her  membership.  Take  as  an  example 
the  strongest  reform  movement,  Marxian  Socialism. 
Socialism  has  appropriated  from  the  Bible  and  the 
teaching  of  the  Church  a  number  of  fundamental 
Christian  truths.  (Name  some!)  Hence  there  is  a 
certain  affinity  between  the  progressive  groups  in  the 
churches  and  Socialism,  both  agreeing  in  the  diagnosis 
of  the  social  disease  and  in  their  protest  and  aim.  But 
there  is  a  world  of  difference  between  the  two  as  to 
spirit,  fundamental  philosophy  and  methods.  Social¬ 
ism  places  the  physical  above  the  spiritual,  considers 
all  capitalists  as  dishonest  and  selfish,  identifies  the 
Church  with  capitalism,  undervalues  or  frankly  op¬ 
poses  religion  and  has  the  tendency  of  lowering  in¬ 
dividual  and  family  morality.  Hence  the  two  cannot 
work  together;  however,  they  may  rejoice  at  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  each  one  in  the  things  in  which  both  agree. 
But  the  Church  must  fight  socialism  positively  by  in¬ 
sisting  on  necessary  reforms. 

8.  The  Protestant  Church  must  magnify  her  mis¬ 
sion  and  importance  and  try  to  convince  her  members 
and  the  outside  world  of  her  indispensableness  in  the 
development  of  the  individual  and  society.  A  renewed 
vision  of  the  meaning  and  nature  of  the  Church,  and  of 
the  true  place  of  the  Church  in  the  Christian  religion, 
is  the  deepest  and  most  real  religious  need  of  our  time. 
It  involves  the  great  fact  of  corporate  and  social  sal¬ 
vation,  not  as  opposed  to  individual  salvation,  but  as 
alone  sufficient  for  the  accomplishment  of  that  indi¬ 
vidual  salvation  which  includes  the  true  development, 
as  well  as  the  redemption  of  the  individual  soul.  What 
Roman  Catholicism  is  doing  too  much,  Protestantism 
is  doing  not  nearly  enough — insisting  on  church  life! 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


WHAT  CAN  THE  CHURCH  DO  TO  HELP 
SAVE  SOCIETY?  ^ 

Parallel  Readings: 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  1-39,  123- 
323- 

Speer,  R.,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  45. 

Catholic  Encycl.,  Vol.  14  (State  and  Church). 

StalkeT,~“*Ethics  of  Jesus,”  371. 

Cross,  G.,  “  Creative  Christianity.” 

Brown,  C.  R.,  “  Social  Rebuilders.” 

Vollmer,  Philip,  “  The  Reformation  a  Liberating  Force,”  125- 
145. 

Kresge,  E.  E.,  “  The  Church  and  the  Evercoming  Kingdom  of 
God.” 

Rochester,  Anna,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  World  To-day.” 
Walker,  G.  M.,  “  Things  that  are  Caesar’s  ”  (Defense  of 
Capitalism). 

Davis,  Philip,  “  The  Field  of  Social  Service.” 

Page,  Kirby,  “  Christianity  and  Economic  Problems.” 
Henderson,  “  Social  Duties,”  1-21. 

Hobson,  J.  A.,  “  Problems  of  the  New  World.” 

Holmes,  J.  H.,  “  The  Revolutionary  Function  of  the  Modern 
Church.” 

Troelsch,  “  Die  Sociallehren  der  Christlichen  Kirchen.” 

Cutting,  “  The  Church  and  Society.” 

McConaughy,  “  Money  the  Acid  Test.” 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Christian  Character.” 

Cairns,  “  Christianity  and  the  Modern  World.” 

Barker,  J.  M,,  “  The  Social  Gospel  and  the  New  Era.” 
Diefenbach,  D.  F.,  “  The  Christian  in  Social  Relations.” 

Brown,  C.  R.,  “  The  Social  Message  of  the  Modern  Pulpit.” 
William,  Maurice,  “  The  Social  Interpretation  of  History.” 
Morgan,  Herbert,  “  Christ  and  Caesar.” 

Fry,  H.  P.,  «  The  Modern  Ku  Klux  Klan.” 

Frohlich,  Karlfried,  “  Die  Reichsgottesidee  Calvins.” 

Stammler,  R.,  “  Sozialismus  und  Christentum.” 

284 


285 


WHAT  CAN  THE  CHURCH  DO  ? 

? 

Spiecker,  “  Sozialismus  im  Sinne  Jesu.” 

Althaus,  Paul,  “  Religioser  Sozialismus.” 

Naumann,  “  Sozialismus  und  Religion  in  Deutschland.” 

“  Christ  and  Civilization,”  491-523. 

“Cry  of  Justice,”  179,  232,  256,  431,  507,  783,  800,  806,  837, 
838,  843. 

Gore,  C,  “  Christianity  Applied  to  the  Rife  of  Men  and  Na¬ 
tions.” 

Jacobs,  R.,  “  Three  Types  of  Practical  Ethical  Movements.” 

Tiplady,  T.,  “  Social  Christianity  in  the  New  Era.” 

Moore,  J.  M.,  “  Making  the  World  Christian.” 

“  The  Church  and  Industrial  Reconstruction  ”  (Association 
Press,  N.  Y.). 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  chap.  7. 

In  proportion  as  the  Church  is  being  saved  herself, 
as  to  leaders  and  members,  as  a  whole  and  in  her  in¬ 
dividual  congregations  and  denominations,  will  she 
prove  in  the  future,  as  in  the  past,  the  mightiest  in¬ 
strument  for  saving  the  “  lost  ”  aspects  of  the  world’s 
social,  economic  and  political  life.  In  discussing  the 
work  of  the  Church  toward  saving  society  a  number 
of  ideas  from  the  previous  chapter  will  of  necessity 
be  repeated  since  the  more  than  600  million  of  church¬ 
men  form  an  integral  part  of  the  whole  human  race 
and  much  that  suits  the  part  is  also  essential  to  the 
whole. 

I.  What  Social  Salvation  Involves 

1.  Definiteness  of  conviction  on  the  part  of  the 
Church  that  to  her  has  been  entrusted  the  only  infalli¬ 
ble  remedy  for  the  healing  of  the  ills  of  society.  Self¬ 
ishness,  functioning  as  the  driving  power  of  our  civili¬ 
zation,  will  drive  it  eventually  upon  the  rocks  of  anni¬ 
hilation.  It  has  done  so  with  all  previous  civilization. 
Already  the  trained  social  observer  sees  dangers  ahead. 
How  can  the  Christian  Church  withhold  from  the 


286 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


world  at  large  that  message  which  alone  can  save:  the 
message  of  the  kingdom,  of  a  close-knit  brotherhood  in 
which  self  is  forgotten  in  rendering  service  to  others, 
in  which  the  general  good,  the  highest  good  of  the 
race,  becomes  the  supreme  good  and  the  differences  of 
men  are  lost,  submerged,  obliterated  in  this  sublime, 
compelling  common  purpose?  Never  before  was  the 
time  so  auspicious  to  direct  the  attention  of  men  to  the 
dazzling  social  idea  of  Christ  as  now  in  this  age  of 
bitter  disillusionment  and  uncertainty.  Public  opinion 
is  in  a  state  of  flux  made  molten  in  the  fires  of  tribula¬ 
tion,  ready  to  run  into  new  moulds,  there  to  crystallize 
in  new  institutions  and  habits  of  thought.  Man’s  ex¬ 
tremity  is  God’s  opportunity. 

2.  The  Church  must  loyally  and  assiduously  attend 
to  her  essential  function  of  being  God’s  prophet  to 
men,  i.  e.,  the  mouthpiece  of  God  and  the  conscience 
of  the  people.  Like  an  expert  physician,  she  must 
diagnose  the  case  very  thoroughly  and  courageously 
point  out  the  unsaved  aspects  of  our  political  and  so¬ 
cial  life,  as  they  have  been  discussed  in  the  preceding 
chapters  of  this  book. 

3.  Each  national  church  must  call  upon  its  own 
nation  and  the  various  social  groups  within  each  nation 
to  repent  as  the  indispensable  condition  to  salvation. 
What  some  of  the  most  besetting  sins  are  of  which 
these  groups  must  repent  is  suggested  in  “  The  Social 
Litany,”  recommended  for  use  in  our  churches.  It 
reads:  “  From  all  class  bitterness  and  racehatred;  from 
forgetfulness  of  Thee  and  indifference  to  our  fellow- 
men;  from  war  and  the  preparation  for  new  wars; 
Good  Lord,  deliver  us. 

“  From  the  corruption  of  the  franchise  and  of  civil 
government;  from  greed  and  hardness  of  heart  against 


WHAT  CAN  THE  CHIJBCH  HO  t 


287 


our  neighbour;  from  the  arbitrary  exercise  of  power; 
Good  Lord,  deliver  us. 

“  From  fear  of  unemployment  and  the  evils  of  over¬ 
work;  from  the  curse  of  child-labour  and  the  unequal 
burdens  of  womanhood;  from  all  ill-paid  toil;  Good 
Lord,  deliver  us. 

“  From  the  luxury  that  enervates;  from  the  poverty 
that  stultifies ;  Good  Lord,  deliver  us.” 

This  national  and  group  repentance,  like  effective 
individual  repentance,  must  be  sincere  and  not  tainted 
with  the  Pharisaism  which  prays;  “  I  thank  Thee,  God, 
that  I  am  not  like  other  people.”  It  must  not  be  of  the 
“  stop  thief  ”  variety,  but  humble  and  self-accusing. 
For  example,  much  of  the  righteous  indignation 
against  the  atrocities  of  the  World  War  had  very  little 
saving  effect,  because  each  nation  sought  the  offender 
exclusively  on  the  other  side.  The  same  is  true  in  our 
labour  conflicts.  The  labour  unions  point  to  the  cap¬ 
tains  of  industry,  and  vice  versa.  An  impressive  model 
prayer  of  group  repentance  is  found  in  Daniel  9.  Dan¬ 
iel  did  not  condone  the  sins  of  the  enemy  nations,  but 
his  constant  refrain  is:  “  We,  our  kings,  our  priests.” 
In  the  words  of  the  ancient  ritual,  group  repentance 
must  say:  “  Nostra  culpa,  nostra  magna  culpa,  nostra 
maxima  culpa !  ” 

4.  The  second  condition  of  salvation,  individual  as 
well  as  social,  is  “  to  believe  in  the  Gospel ”  not  in  the 
sense  of  merely  subscribing  to  an  orthodox  creed,  but 
in  the  New  Testament  sense  of  entering  into  life  union 
with  Christ  and  of  following  His  teaching.  In  con¬ 
crete  language  this  means,  e .  g.,  that  the  American 
government,  the  captains  of  industry,  the  labour 
unions,  the  press,  must  in  all  sincerity  believe  in  the 
common  fatherhood  of  God  and  the  true  brotherhood 


288' 


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of  all  men,  and  draw  practical  inferences  from  such 
belief.  They  must  sincerely  believe  that  love  is  the 
greatest  power  for  settling  difficulties  and  brutal  force 
a  failure  everywhere;  that  right  alone  makes  might; 
and  that  righteousness  (not  armies)  exalts -a  nation. 

5.  To  convert  the  above-named  and  other  social 
groups  to  these  principles  of  living  is  an  exceedingly 
hard  task  for  the  Church;  chiefly  because  the  Church 
herself  is  not  yet  fully  converted  to  them  and  because 
the  leaders  of  these  groups  believe  the  direct  opposite 
of  Christ's  teaching  on  social  and  political  questions. 
Almost  all  of  them  practice  a  double  standard  of 
morality. 

With  shocking  frankness,  not  only  our  statesmen, 
but  even  some  ministers  and  professors  of  theology, 
assert  that  Christ’s  ethics,  while  applicable  to  private 
conduct,  are  not  at  all  binding  in  political  and  business 
matters.  The  latter,  they  openly  say,  can  only  be 
decided  by  “  national  self-interest,”  “  popular  aspira¬ 
tions,”  “  manifest  destiny,”  or  even,  as  the  Italian 
premier  at  Versailles  put  it,  “  holy  egotism.”  The 
reason  for  this  unbelief  in  Christ’s  Gospel  on  the  part 
of  our  statesmen  is  twofold.  (1)  While  some  of  them 
sincerely  accept  the  Gospel  as  a  guide  in  their  personal 
life,  even  the  best  of  them  cannot  be  convinced  that  it 
is  a  workable  theory  for  the  transaction  of  national 
and  international  affairs.  The  only  concession  these 
better  class  diplomats  make  to  Christ  is  a  liberal  use  of 
unctuous  language.  But,  judging  by  their  deeds, 
nearly  all  of  them  believe  only  in  might,  in  big  armies 
and  navies,  in  alliances,  in  TNT  bombs.  The 
Church,  however,  knows  from  the  history  of  civiliza¬ 
tion  and  present  experience  that  Christ’s  Gospel  does 
work  like  a  charm  in  political  and  social  affairs  also. 


WHAT  CAN  THE  CHUECH  DO  ? 


289 


wherever  sincerely  applied.  But  as  she  has  not  yet 
succeeded  in  convincing  her  own  statesmen  of  this  fact, 
secret  diplomacy  goes  on  hurling  peoples  from  one  war 
into  another  because  they  do  not  believe  in  the  Gospel. 
(2)  Another  reason  for  the  unbelief  of  our  statesmen 
is  that  almost  all  of  them  are  constantly  busy  doing 
things  which  are  clearly  forbidden  by  the  Gospel. 
They  oppress  large  classes  of  their  own  people  and  try 
to  annex  the  country  or  the  wealth  of  other  peoples. 
They  would  have  to  stop  this  if  they  sincerely  believed 
in  the  three  fundamental  laws  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
the  law  of  love,  of  service  and  of  sacrifice. 

Neither  do  the  leaders  in  the  industrial  conflicts 
sincerely  believe  in  the  full,  unabridged  Gospel,  though 
many  of  them  are  church  members.  The  real  creed 
of  many  of  the  labour  unions  consists  of  four  articles: 
big  pay ;  few  working  hours ;  little  work  during  those 
hours;  and  the  quality  of  work  inferior.  The  creed  of 
many  of  the  employers  is  a  little  more  complicated,  but 
the  Golden  Rule  is  just  as  conspicuous  by  its  absence. 
All  of  these  and  other  social  groups  have,  however,  one 
article  of  faith  in  common  in  their  creeds,  namely: 
“  the  Church  must  stand  by  us,  or  at  least  keep  hands 
off  and  let  us  fight  it  out  according  to  the  good  old 
customs  of  the  jungle.”  The  minister’s  answer  should 
be:  “  Gentlemen,  we  cannot  oblige  you.  We  must  obey 
God  rather  than  man  (Acts  5:  29),  and  Christ  has 
commissioned  us  to  preach  the  full  Gospel,  including 
its  social  implications.  So  we  call  upon  you  to  be¬ 
lieve  in  this  Gospel.  If  you  do,  the  present  social  order 
can  be  saved;  if  you  do  not  believe,  our  present  civi¬ 
lization  will  be  condemned,  according  to  Christ’s  warn¬ 
ing,  Matthew  28:  19,  which  applies  to  groups  and  in¬ 
stitutions  as  well  as  to  individuals.” 


290 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


6.  The  third  condition  of  group  salvation  is  to 
bring  forth  good  fruits.  The  most  important  of  these 
is  a  righteous  will,  i.  e.y  a  will  to  do  right.  For  where 
there  is  a  righteous  will,  ways  will  surely  be  found  for 
righteous  laws  and  institutions.  As  to  the  best  ways 
of  carrying  Christ’s  social  principles  into  practical 
effect  in  the  home,  in  industry,  in  national  and  inter¬ 
national  relations,  men  of  equal  sincerity  differ  greatly. 
But  this  does  not  matter.  For  Christ  is  not  at  all  inter¬ 
ested  in  forms,  and  systems,  and  constitutions,  and 
platforms,  and  unions,  and  leagues,  and  alliances,  in 
themselves,  and  neither  should  the  Church  be,  as  a 
Church.  For  all  of  these  are  human  devices  and  their 
usefulness  depends  on  the  spirit  controlling  them.  Like 
all  other  little  systems,  they  have  their  day  and  pass 
away.  Christ,  however,  is  greatly  interested  in  the 
spirit  pervading  our  political  and  industrial  forms  and 
constitutions,  and  in  order  to  please  Him,  they  must  be 
controlled  by  the  spirit  of  love,  of  service,  and  of  sac¬ 
rifice.  To  these  fundamentals  the  Church  should, 
therefore,  confine  her  energies,  expecting  little  true 
improvement  from  mere  changes  of  forms,  new  slogans 
and  improved  institutions. 

Note.  The  above  ideas  are  very  aptly  expressed  in  an  action  of 
the  Calvinistic  Methodist  Church  of  Wales.  It  says :  “  The  Social 
Function  of  the  Church  is  determined  by  her  nature  as  witness 
and  organ  of  the  Will  of  God  revealed  in  Jesus  Christ.” 
Materially,  its  scope  is  coextensive  with  human  life  itself,  and 
embraces  all  relations,  activities,  and  institutions  of  society,  re¬ 
garding  nothing  that  truly  belongs  to  man  as  “  common  or 
unclean.”  Formally,  however,  its  province  is  strictly  limited. 
The  Gospel  contains  no  directions  for  social  Technics  or  Politics, 
but  only  the  fundamental  principles  of  Social  Ethics.  To  pro¬ 
claim  and  promote  this  Christian  Ethic  is  the  specific  commission 
of  the  Church.  This  function  is  threefold: 

(i)  A  Prophetic  Function  of  Social  Criticism.  The  Church  is 


WHAT  CAN  THE  CHURCH  DO  I 


291 


the  conscience  of  Society.  As  such  she  must  maintain  her  sensi¬ 
tiveness  to  social  injustice  and  her  freedom  to  condemn  it.  She 
must,  therefore,  preserve  her  independence  of  all  social  powers, 
whether  economic  or  political,  and  all  conventions,  theories  or 
institutions,  as  well  as  of  her  own  material  interests  (as  an  insti¬ 
tution)  ;  she  must  eschew  all  alliances  and  commitments  whereby 
her  readiness  to  declare,  “  Thus  saith  the  Ford,”  might  at  any 
moment  be  impaired. 

(2)  An  Evangelical  Function  of  Social  Inspiration,  by  holding 
up  the  Ideal  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  and  its  progressive 
realization  in  a  Christian  Commonwealth  and  a  Commonwealth  of 
mankind;  by  enlisting  the  solemn  and  joyous  service  of  men  as 
fellow-workers  with  God  in  His  “New  Creation”;  by  quicken¬ 
ing  and  hallowing  all  social  impulse  and  endeavour  with  the 
motive  of  Christian  love. 

(3)  A  Pastoral  Function  of  Social  Sympathy,  with  special  care, 
after  the  manner  of  Jesus,  for  the  socially  “unfit” — for  the 
weak,  the  poor,  the  erring  and  the  fallen.  This  feature,  so 
prominent  in  the  personal  ministry  of  Jesus  and  the  example  of 
the  Early  Church,  must  never  be  allowed  to  become  less  con¬ 
spicuous.  The  Glory  of  the  Church  is  to  “  Preach  the  Gospel  to 
the  Poor.” 

7.  The  salvation  of  the  environment  is  absolutely 
essential  to  the  normal  and  true  salvation  of  the  in¬ 
dividuals  living  in  such  environments.  A  religion, 
therefore,  which  ignores  the  moral  influences  of  en¬ 
vironment  is  fatally  blind  to  the  clear  facts  of  life  and 
fails  of  its  full  mission.  There  are  everywhere  in  our 
modern  world  economic,  industrial  and  social  condi¬ 
tions  which  make  the  Christian  life  practically  im¬ 
possible.  For  example:  if  overcrowded  tenements 
where  fathers,  mothers,  sons,  daughters  and  lodgers 
sleep  in  common  bedrooms,  make  moral  decency  im¬ 
possible,  and  if  low  wages  drive  many  girls  into  pros¬ 
titution,  how  can  we  preach  chastity  from  the  pulpit 
and  ignore  these  environments?  To  the  same  effect 
Professor  Vedder  (“Gospel  of  Jesus/'  40)  writes: 


292 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


“  The  physician  who  would  cure  a  man  of  typhoid 
and  then  advise  or  permit  him  to  adopt  a  diet  of 
typhoid  germs  would  be  regarded  as  insane.  But  the 
Church  turns  her  saved  people  back  to  their  old  en¬ 
vironments  and  expects  the  new  life  to  develop  nor¬ 
mally.  Our  motto  must  be:  a  saved  individual  in  a 
saved  community.” 

II.  Method  and  Spirit  of  Social  Salvation 

1.  The  easy-going  method  of  social  salvation, 
trusting  that  saved  individuals  will  somehow  without 
special  planning  effect  the  salvation  of  our  political 
and  economic  conditions,  is  without  any  basis  in  reason 
and  experience.  Without  definite  planning,  education 
and  agitation,  carried  on  constantly  from  one  genera¬ 
tion  to  the  next,  converted  individuals  will  make  little 
impression  on  the  unsaved  conditions  of  our  environ¬ 
ment.  “  Onesimus  and  his  master  were  both  saved 
individuals,  but  the  society  in  which  they  lived  was  so 
unchristian  that  one  man  owned  the  other.  The  presi¬ 
dent  of  a  corporation  and  its  employee  may  be  Chris¬ 
tian  individuals,  but  both  are  involved  in  competitive 
industrial  order  that  denies  to  one  an  income  adequate 
for  a  worthy  life.  Not  only  the  motives  of  individuals 
have  to  be  Christianized  but  also  the  social  organization 
and  the  inherited  arrangements  in  the  industrial,  racial 
and  international  realm.  In  this  social  environment 
the  individual  has  his  being,  for  good  or  ill  it  is  all  the 
while  affecting  personal  character.  The  Church  must 
definitely  set  itself  to  moulding  public  opinion,  as  pub¬ 
lic  opinion  is  chiefly  responsible  for  the  social  arrange¬ 
ments  under  which  we  live.  The  liquor  traffic  was  not 
abolished  simply  by  keeping  the  man  away  from  liquor, 
but  by  a  group  sentiment  that  decided  to  keep  liquor 


WHAT  CAN  THE  CHURCH  DO  ? 


293 


away  from  the  man.  Slavery  did  not  cease  by  con¬ 
verting  slaveholders  one  by  one.  Duelling  was  not 
banished  by  dealing  with  individual  duellers.  A  tide 
of  Christian  public  sentiment  had  to  be  created,  great 
enough  to  break  through  the  inertia  of  existing  forms 
of  social  organization  and  to  create  conditions  more 
consistent  with  Christianity”  ( ~Ev .  Tidings). 

2.  The  successful  method  of  saving  society  which 

the  Church  must  teach  the  people  is  the  one  empha¬ 
sized  and  practiced  by  Christ,  namely,  the  conversion 
of  the  individual.  (See  Chapters  10  and  11.)  “  Seek 

ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness,  and 
all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you,”  u  e.,  estab¬ 
lish  the  regime  of  economic  justice  and  you  need 
no  longer  fear  and  worry  about  the  necessities  of 
life.  In  the  words  of  Victor  Hugo:  “People  do 
not  lack  strength  and  intelligence,  they  lack  good 
will.” 

3.  All  kinds  of  good  reforms  shall  find  a  friend  in 
the  Church.  “  Destroy  it  not,  for  a  blessing  is  in  it  ” 
(Isa.  65:  8).  For,  as  our  Lord  once  intimated  to  His 
narrow-minded  disciples,  whoever  casts  out  devils  in 
this  demon-infected  social  order  of  ours,  is  to  that 
extent  cooperating  with  Christ  in  extending  His  king¬ 
dom  of  righteousness.  But  Christians,  and  especially 
ministers,  should  not  neglect  their  foremost  duty, 
which  consists  in  working  the  leaven  of  the  simple 
social  Gospel  of  the  kingdom  into  all  relations  of  life, 
and  they  should  beware  of  dabbling  too  much  in  all 
kinds  of  reform  movements.  For  after  all,  these  do 
not  touch  the  bottom  of  the  ills  that  trouble  humanity. 
As  the  name  indicates,  they  are  too  much  concerned 
with  changes  in  the  forms,  with  institutions,  laws  and 
customs  that  shape  society  externally.  They  approach 


294 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


the  ills  of  society  from  without.  They  expect  to  se¬ 
cure  righteousness  by  changes  in  the  social  environ¬ 
ment,  and  in  this  reformers  are  disappointed  again  and 
again. 

The  Church  must  never  cease  stressing  the  revolu¬ 
tionary  and  radical  character  of  Christ’s  teaching  and 
of  the  Church’s  aim.  These  terms  are  of  course  not  to 
be  taken  in  any  violent  sense,  but  in  their  literal  mean¬ 
ing  as  going  to  the  roots  of  the  difficulty  through  re¬ 
generation  and  a  “  facing  about  ”  through  conversion 
of  individuals  and  groups  (Luke  12:  49 ;  Mark  10:  31; 
Luke  16:  13;  Acts  17 :  6).  The  revolutionary  note  in 
this  sense  runs  through  all  of  Christ’s  teaching;  even 
the  beatitudes  teach  that  in  the  kingdom  of  God  all 
values  shall  be  reversed. 

Note .  In  the  above  sense  the  saying  of  Benjamin  Franklin 
must  be  understood :  “  Whoever  introduces  into  public  affairs 
the  principles  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  will  change  the  face 
of  the  world.”  Laveleyc,  in  his  book,  “  Primitive  Property,” 
says :  “  If  Christianity  were  taught  and  understood  conform¬ 
ably  to  the  spirit  of  its  founder,  the  existing  social  organism 
could  not  last  a  day.” 

4.  In  teaching  the  people  how  our  social  order  may 
be  saved,  the  Church  must  limit  herself  to  her  spe¬ 
ciality,  namely,  the  inculcation  of  principles  (which, 
however,  is  not  synonymous  with  hazy  generalities), 
leaving  definite  measures  and  concrete  details  to  the 
trained  specialists  and  to  gradual  development.  It  is, 
e.  g.,  not  the  business  of  militarists,  bishops  and  editors 
to  tell  the  government  “  in  the  name  of  God  and  the 
Church  ”  to  interfere  in  this  or  that  European  or 
Asiatic  quarrel  about  the  spoils  of  war;  nor  is  it  a 
part  of  the  minister’s  work  to  select  this  or  that  scheme 
of  economics  (Capitalism,  Socialism  or  Single  Tax- 


WHAT  CAN  THE  CHURCH  DO  ? 


295 


ism),  and  present  it  as  the  authoritative  teaching  of 
the  Church.  As  a  rule  ministers  know  nothing  about 
industrial  processes  and  therefore  are  not  competent  to 
speak  upon  details.  It  is  plainly  an  impertinence  when 
a  minister  or  any  other  religious  leader  attempts  to  tell 
business  men  how  to  manage  the  details  of  their  busi¬ 
ness.  “  Let  not  the  minister  mistake  his  office  of  the 
prophet  which  is  to  inspire  and  to  teach,  for  that  of 
the  economist  or  statesman  whose  business  it  is  to  coin 
into  treasures  and  laws  the  gold  of  the  gospel  truth. 
Only  very  occasionally  both  functions  may  be  exercised 
by  one  person.  Neither  the  Bible  nor  the  Church  are 
authorities  on  the  details  of  political  economy,  legis¬ 
lation  and  industrial  methods.  But  both  are  to  tell  the 
Christian  by  what  principle  he  should  be  guided,  expel 
selfishness  from  man's  motives  and  put  brotherhood 
at  the  front  as  his  determining  principle”  (Peabody, 
“  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  30).  But 
limitation  does  not  mean  elimination.  It  is  not  an  im¬ 
pertinence,  it  is  a  rightful  and  a  necessary  act,  when  a 
minister  or  a  council,  or  any  body  of  religious  folk, 
declare  the  true  principles  on  which  society  must  be 
organized  in  order  to  be  right  and  Christian,  and  point 
out  obvious  applications  of  those  principles.  This  right 
of  the  Church  to  speak  on  human  relationships  in  in¬ 
dustry  has  been  challenged  by  some  representatives  of 
employers,  although  upheld  by  many  others. 

Literature: 

Speer,  “Principles  of  Jesus,”  238. 

5.  In  diagnosing  the  source  of  the  “  lost  ”  condi¬ 
tion  of  our  social  affairs,  zealous  churchmen  must 
guard  against  coarse,  indiscriminate  wholesale  denun¬ 
ciation  of  the  rich  people  as  a  class:  (1)  Because  they 


296 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


like  everybody  else  are  entangled  in  an  economic  sys¬ 
tem  which  cannot  be  improved  over  night.  In  the 
words  of  Professor  Vedder,  “  The  individual  is  power¬ 
less  in  the  grip  of  the  ruling  social  economic  system. 
He  has  to  live  his  social  life  under  social  conditions  as 
they  are,  not  as  he  thinks  they  should  be  and  not  as  he 
hopes  they  will  be.  This  is  just  as  true  of  the  million¬ 
aire  as  of  the  wage-earner.  The  individual  is  power¬ 
less  except  (and  note  the  exception  for  it  is  a  large 
one)  that  he  is  morally  bound  to  protest  against  them 
and  try  to  amend  them.  Only  that  individual  is  to  be 
ethically,  culpable  who  acquiesces  in  a  social  system 
that  he  knows  to  be  iniquitous  and  eagerly  uses  his 
iniquities  to  advance  his  own  interest.  (2)  Many  in¬ 
dividuals  of  the  rich  class  are  personally  good  people 
and  as  their  works  show,  often  better  than  their  critics. 
(3)  Evidence  is  accumulating  proving  that  many  of 
the  rich  are  anxious  to  reform  our  business  system. 
A  great  employer  is  quoted  as  saying:  “A  growing 
number  of  employers  are  condemning  the  foundation 
principles  of  the  present  industrial  world  and  are  seek¬ 
ing  the  way  to  industrial  reconstruction.  The  inevi¬ 
table  change  to  the  new  industrial  world  would  come 
with  less  bitterness  and  less  hardship  if  the  influence 
of  these  men  prevailed  in  our  Manufacturers’  Asso¬ 
ciations  and  Chambers  of  Commerce.  A  large  propor¬ 
tion  of  the  members  of  these  associations  are  in  the 
churches  and  furnish  a  fertile  field  for  a  liberal  and 
courageous  pulpit.”  (4)  What  has  the  Church  done 
to  enlighten  the  rich  and  arouse  their  conscience  ?  As 
a  class  our  very  wealthy  men  and  women  belong  to 
the  greatly  neglected  classes  as  far  as  hearing  the  pure 
Gospel  is  concerned. 

6.  An  integral  part  of  the  social  Gospel  is  to  abolish 


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297 


in  thought,  phraseology  and  church  literature  the  Old 
Testament  and  pagan  distinction  between  sacred  and 
secular  acts,  times  and  places  (John  4:  24;  1  Cor. 
10:  31;  Rom.  14:  17 ;  Col.  2:  16).  This  vicious  dis¬ 
tinction  has  led  to  the  technicalizing,  localizing  and  ex- 
ternalization  of  religion,  dividing  life  into  two  sepa¬ 
rate  spheres,  very  often  with  no  connection  between 
them,  as  if  they  were  two  water-tight  compartments, 
thus  establishing  a  double  standard  of  ethics.  “  Under 
such  a  division,”  Dr.  Strong  says,  “  even  the  conscien¬ 
tious  man  brought  only  a  fraction  of  his  life  to  the 
touchstone  of  conscience.”  How  different  life  be¬ 
comes  when  every  calling  is  considered  sacred,  not 
only  that  of  the  minister,  but  also  that  “  of  the  butcher 
and  baker,  and  the  candlestick  maker,”  when  people 
learn  that  the  “  natural  ”  laws  are  also  God’s  laws  and 
that  all  human  activities  sustain  relations  to  God’s 
kingdom.  Then  he  is  able  to  stretch  the  sceptre  of 
conscience  over  his  entire  life. 

Literature: 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  96-102. 

7.  All  Christians  should  cultivate  the  spirit  of  tol¬ 
erance  and  cooperation  toward  non-church  organiza¬ 
tions  that  aim  at  the  elevation  of  mankind  and  specific 
reforms,  the  more  so  as  many  of  these  efforts  have  been 
directly  or  indirectly  inspired  by  the  Church.  For  in 
Mark  9:  40  Jesus  clearly  intimates  that  whosoever  tries 
to  cast  out  demons  in  this  demon-ridden  society  should 
be  encouraged  in  his  laudable  endeavour  by  his  fol¬ 
lowers.  The  Church  is  no  longer  able  to  do  the  neces¬ 
sary  work  of  regenerating  society  alone. 

8.  While  impartial  in  her  dealings  with  all  classes 
the  Church  should  follow  the  example  of  the  prophets 


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NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


and  Jesus  who  frankly  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
people  in  the  larger  sense  in  distinction  from  the  richer 
classes.  Most  progressive  people,  especially  the  labour¬ 
ing  class,  believe  that  the  Churches  stand  immovable 
for  social  and  political  conditions  as  they  are.  This 
explains  why,  in  violent  revolutions,  the  Church  and 
her  ministers  are  attacked  with  such  unusual  ferocity, 
as,  e.  g.,  in  France  in  1789  and  1871;  and  in  Russia  in 
1919.  The  Church  must  prove  that  she  is  neither  a 
standpatter  nor  a  leader  in  violent  revolutions  but  the 
unbiased  prophets  of  God’s  righteousness. 

9.  The  progressive  elements  in  the  various 
Churches  should  assist  one  another  in  fulfilling  their 
sacred  trust  with  courage.  For  as  Professor  Snow¬ 
den  says:  “  The  cry  of  treason  is  always  raised  by  the 
demagogue  against  the  truth  teller  and  reformer.  It 
takes  courage  to  speak  the  truth  in  the  pulpit,  in  poli¬ 
tics,  in  business  and  in  social  life.  It  takes  no  small 
amount  of  sense  and  grace  to  stand  charges  against 
one’s  country  without  animosity,  and  against  one’s  re¬ 
ligion  without  hot  indignation.  Yet  the  truth  should 
always  be  heard  and  it  is  the  only  thing  that  will  do  us 
permanent  good.”  The  church  leaders  should  more 
than  ever  think  out  ways  and  means  to  make  the  ruling 
classes  see  that  Christ’s  program  alone  will  avert  im¬ 
pending  social  disaster  and  bloodshed.  For  conditions 
to-day  are  as  tragic  as  in  the  days  of  Daniel  the 
prophet  when  the  handwriting  appeared  on  the  wall 
(Dan.  5:  17).  The  very  man  for  whom  the  writing 
on  the  wall  was  meant  could  neither  read  nor  interpret 
it.  It  takes  a  prophet  of  God  to  explain  the  message. 
How  modem  that  sounds !  God’s  handwriting,  warn¬ 
ing  individuals,  social  groups  and  entire  nations,  even 
whole  continents  of  the  inevitable  results  of  a  selfish 


WHAT  CAN  THE  CHURCH  DO  t 


299 


life  may  be  seen  on  all  sides,  but  the  very  people  who 
should  profit  by  it  either  overlook  these  signs  of  the 
times  or  misinterpret  them.  For  example,  the  hand¬ 
writing  of  the  World  War  is  interpreted  by  some 
governments  as  a  chance  to  enlarge  their  possessions, 
retain  stronger  armaments  and  form  protective  or 
aggressive  alliances.  The  unrest  among  the  labour 
classes  is  interpreted  as  giving  the  occasion  for  curtail¬ 
ing  American  rights  and  liberties. 

10.  Let  the  Church  move  more  and  more  into  the 
forefront  of  leadership  in  social  reconstruction  now 
under  way.  In  the  Middle  Ages  and  even  later  the 
Church  was  the  pioneer  and  the  only  leader  of  all  the 
great  social  movements.  This  she  cannot  be  in  the 
present  reconstruction  movement,  because  other  social 
groups  were  ready  long  before  her;  but  she  can  serve 
as  one  of  the  most  prominent  leaders  from  now  on, 
and  she  is  actually  doing  so.  We  believe  that  she  will 
soon  advance  to  the  first  place  in  leadership  in  social 
righteousness,  and  then  history  will  repeat  itself;  for 
our  old  spiritual  Mother  has  often  shown  that  she  can 
indeed  fight  when  once  her  mind  is  made  up  as  to  the 
righteousness  of  a  cause.  Almost  single-handed,  only 
by  the  power  of  great  moral  ideas,  she  has  fought 
many  an  iniquity  to  a  frazzle.  (Name  some!) 

11.  Finally,  the  American  Church  must  provide 
her  people  with  more  and  better  munition  in  this  great 
fight,  in  the  form  of  suitable  literature  on  all  the  press¬ 
ing  social  questions,  such  as  tracts,  books,  leaflets, 
periodicals.  The  church  press  has  peculiar  responsi¬ 
bility  in  this  connection  because  “  it  is  the  one  channel 
of  publicity  which  can  be  expected  to  be  impartial  and 
disinterested  in  the  presentation  of  the  facts.” 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


WHAT  IS  THE  CHURCH  DOING  NOW  TOWARD 
CHRISTIANIZING  SOCIETY? 

Parallel  Readings : 

Rauschenbusch,  “Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  21 1  and 
his  “  Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  chap.  3. 

Kirby  Page,  “  Christianity  and  Economic  Problems.” 

Peabody,  “Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,”  chap.  1. 

Kent,  “  Social  Teaching,”  etc.,  336-344. 

New  Schaff-PIerzog  Religious  Encyclopaedia,  Vol.  X,  on  “  Social 
Service.” 

Keller,  Dynamis,  “  Formen  und  Kraefte  des  Amerikanischen 
Protestantismus.” 

Jacobs,  Leo,  “  Three  Types  of  Practical  Ethical  Movements  of 
the  East  Half  Century.” 

Brown,  Wm.  A.,  “  The  Church  in  America.” 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  1-40,  324- 
476. 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  chaps.  21  and  22. 

Having  considered  in  the  four  preceding  chapters 
the  past  achievements  and  failures  of  the  Church  in 
carrying  out  her  Divine  mission  of  Christianizing  the 
social  order  and  having  tried  to  answer  the  question 
what  she  must  do  to  save  herself  and  society,  we  will 
now  raise  the  still  more  important  question,  what  is 
the  Church  at  the  present  time  actually  doing  toward 
“  Kingdomizing  ”  society  ? 

I.  General  Features  of  the  Church’s  Social 

Activity 

1.  The  extensive  influence  of  the  Church  is  steadily 
on  the  increase  (Matt.  13:  31,  32).  Among  the  1,700 

30° 


WHAT  IS  THE  CHURCH  DOING  I 


301 


million  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  683  million  are  Chris¬ 
tians  (305  million  Roman  Catholics,  220  million 
Protestants  and  158  million  Greek  Catholics).  In  the 
United  States,  according  to  the  latest  statistics,  of 
every  106  persons  ten  have  no  religious  affiliation  and 
ninety-six  are  affiliated  through  membership,  financial 
support,  attendance  or  other  ties  with  various  religious 
bodies  as  follows:  Protestant,  75,  Roman  Catholic,  18, 
other  “  faiths,”  3,  no  religious  affiliation,  10,  total, 
106.  The  Year  Book  of  the  Churches  gives  the  total 
church  population  of  the  country  as  follows:  Roman 
Catholic,  17,885,646;  Eastern  Orthodox,  411,054;  Lat¬ 
ter  Day  Saints,  587,918 ;  Jewish,  1,600,000 ;  Protestant, 
75,099,489 ;  total,  95,584,107.  The  actual  membership 
is  45,997,199,  which  figure  includes,  however,  the 
17,885,646  Roman  Catholics,  representing  estimated 
population  including  all  baptized  persons.  If  Protes¬ 
tant  population  were  figured  as  Roman  Catholic  is  in 
statistics  both  Methodist  and  Baptist  communicants 
would  each  outnumber  the  Catholics. 

2.  The  widely  spread  Foreign  Mission  Work  of  the 
Church  is  a  phase  of  elevating  the  human  race  socially 
which  is  not  yet  fully  understood  even  by  its  supporters 
and  sympathizers. 

literature  on  this  important  phase  of  Christianizing  the  social 
order : 

High,  S,  “  China’s  Place  in  the  Sun.” 

Mott,  J.  R.,  “  The  Present  World  Situation.” 

“  Christ  and  Civilization,”  447-492. 

Schenck,  “  Biblical  Sociology,”  chap.  23. 

Spiecker,  Walter,  “  Die  Rheinische  Missionsgesellschaft  in 
ihren  volks,  and  kolonialwirtschaftlichen  Funktionen.” 

Dennis,  James  S.,  “  Christian  Missions  and  Social  Progress,”  2 
vol. 

Capen,  E.  W.,  “  Sociological  Progress  in  Mission  Lands.” 


302 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Headland,  I.  T.,  “  Some  By-Products  of  Missions  ” 

Faunce,  W.  H.  P.,  “  The  Social  Aspects  of  Foreign  Missions  ” 

3.  Protestantism  at  home  and  abroad  is  drawing 
closer  together  as  the  various  national,  sectional  and 
world  federations  prove,  the  most  comprehensive  of 
which  in  America  is  the  Federal  Council  of  the 
Churches  of  Christ,  comprising  thirty  denominations 
with  19,933,115  members.  In  social  work  there  is  co¬ 
operation  going  on  even  between  Protestants,  Roman 
Catholics  and  Jews.  Among  religious  leaders  the  con¬ 
viction  becomes  clearer  as  the  struggle  for  a  better 
world  proceeds,  that  their  enemies  are  not  Christians 
of  other  denominations  but  the  mighty  “  world  ”-pow- 
ers  in  the  form  of  materialism,  atheism,  militarism, 
etc.  The  slogan  is,  “  March  separately,  but  fight 
unitedly.”  (“  Separat  marschieren  aber  vereint 
schlagen.”) 

4.  The  Church,  especially  in  America,  enjoys  the 
membership,  the  active  counsel,  the  energetic  work  and 
the  financial  aid  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  the  most 
prominent  men  and  women  among  the  educators,  the 
lawyers,  physicians,  artists,  statesmen,  financiers,  cap¬ 
tains  of  industry,  etc.,  in  each  community.  Jesus  and 
Paul  cultivated  the  good-will  of  the  prominent  mem¬ 
bers  of  society  without  in  the  least  lowering  their  ideal 
standard,  and  so  should  the  Church  do. 

5.  By  general  influence  and  through  forming 
specific  organizations  churchmen  demand  better  pro¬ 
tection  for  her  forward-looking  leaders.  Bishop  Mc¬ 
Connell  said  recently:  “  The  Christian  Church  because 
of  its  highly  organized  condition  is  in  danger  of  leav¬ 
ing  no  place  in  its  system  for  a  man  who  will  speak 
directly  and  fearlessly  to  the  needs  of  his  day.  The 
true  prophet  has  a  larger  sense  of  God  than  the  average 


WHAT  IS  THE  CHURCH  DOING  ? 


303 


person  of  his  time,  and  he  also  has  a  larger  insight 
into  the  nature  of  man.  The  two  insights  go  together. 
A  deep  understanding  of  God  brings  a  fuller  under¬ 
standing  of  man,  and  a  larger  knowledge  of  man  brings 
a  greater  understanding  of  God.”  Church  bodies 
should  never  permit  narrow-minded  people  to  throw 
her  forward-looking  “  to  the  lions.” 

6.  The  close  and  sympathetic  observer  will  find 
that  in  recent  years  a  number  of  "  new  things  ”  are 
developing  among  the  more  spiritual  and  intelligent 
ministers  and  members  of  the  modern  Church.  (1) 
The  Church  is  in  a  repentant  mood,  and  in  this  she  is 
far  ahead  of  other  social  groups  which  still  evince  a 
strong  degree  of  self-complacency.  She  is  engaged 
in  self-criticism  by  her  own  members  and  is  even  open 
to  criticism  from  outsiders.  (2)  A  new  sense  of 
shame  and  humiliation  has  come  over  a  large  number 
of  the  best  churchmen  because  of  our  relapse  into  a 
barbarism  seldom  witnessed  in  history,  and  because 
the  three  principal  actors  were  Protestant  nations,  into 
the  hands  of  whom  God  had  entrusted  the  leadership 
for  world  evangelization.  All  the  smartly  worded 
excuses  do  not  satisfy  the  more  spiritual  and  intellec¬ 
tual  portion  of  the  Church.  (3)  A  new  fear  is  creep¬ 
ing  over  the  churches,  especially  in  Europe,  that  God 
may  take  His  kingdom  from  her  and  employ  other 
agencies  to  carry  out  His  will.  God  has  done  the  first 
before  this,  in  Palestine,  Syria,  Asia  Minor,  Egypt, 
North  Africa,  and  is  doing  it  now  in  France,  Italy, 
Spain  and  partly  in  Germany  and  England.  In 
America  the  Church  is  still  a  great  public  power,  en¬ 
joying  the  respect  of  many  millions  and  is  being  feared 
by  other  millions.  But  woe  unto  her  if  she  fails  to 
live  up  to  her  great  opportunities.  (4)  A  new  con - 


304 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


science  is  developing  concerning  the  Church’s  obliga¬ 
tion  to  assist  in  solving  the  social  problem  (Bishop 
Williams,  “  The  Minister  and  the  Social  Problem,” 
3-33). 

7.  The  work  of  rediscovering  the  social  aspects  of 
Christ’s  Gospel  is  progressing  mightily,  as  the  vast 
amount  of  literature  shows.  Our  seminary  teaching 
shows  a  decided  “  social  orientation.”  The  social  Gos¬ 
pel  has  become  orthodox.  “  It  is  an  established  part 
of  the  modern  religious  message,”  says  Rauschenbusch 
(“  A  Theology  for  the  Social  Gospel,”  1-9).  Sunday- 
school  and  the  devotional  literature  of  the  Church,  such 
as  hymn-books,  liturgies,  catechisms,  etc.,  are  all  satu¬ 
rated  with  the  spirit  of  the  social  Gospel.  (Show  it!) 
The  various  Brotherhoods  and  other  groups  are  being 
encouraged  by  the  ministers  to  arrange  Social  Study 
courses. 

8.  Social  Service  and  Welfare  Work  is  increasing 
under  a  new  name  the  Church’s  great  work  of  charity, 
and  by  indirect  methods  she  is  succeeding  in  enlisting 
whole  communities  and  corporations  to  practice  many 
features  of  philanthropy.  It  must  not  be  overlooked 
that  practically  all  philanthropy  in  America  comes 
from  the  churches.  Our  Interchurch  World  Move¬ 
ment,  a  little  while  ago,  proceeded  upon  a  different 
assumption  and  sought  to  secure,  in  addition  to  church 
appropriations,  a  considerable  sum  of  money  from  the 
people  outside  of  the  Churches.  But  it  failed  because 
outside  of  church  circles  there  is  mighty  little  gen¬ 
uine,  unselfish  altruism  (Vedder,  “  Gospel  of  Jesus,” 
35). 

9.  The  annual  resolutions,  pastoral  letters,  social 
creeds,  etc.,  show  that  the  official  judicatories  of  the 
Churches  are  feeling  their  way  toward  formulating  a 


WHAT  IS  THE  CHURCH  DOING? 


305 


definite  platform  of  principles  on  Christ’s  social  teach¬ 
ing,  and  this  will  gradually  resolve  itself  into  a  true 
“  Social  Creed  ”  of  equal  importance  with  the  theo¬ 
logical  “  Apostles’  Creed.” 

Note.  The  “  Social  Creed  ”  adopted  by  the  Federal  Council  of 
the  Churches  of  Christ,  deserves  a  place  here  because  it  ex¬ 
presses  the  views  of  thirty  Protestant  denominations  having  over 
nineteen  million  communicants  and  should  be  generally  known. 
Here  is  the  document  as  officially  put  forth: 


SOCIAL  IDEALS  OF  THE  CHURCHES 

Action  Taken  by  the  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ 

in  America  at  a  Special  Meeting  Held  at  Cleveland ,  Ohio, 

May  6-8,  igig. 

Resolved:  That  we  reaffirm  the  social  platform  adopted  by  the 
first  Quadrennial  in  Chicago,  1912,  and  ratified  by  the  Second 
Quadrennial  in  St„  Louis,  1916. 

That  the  churches  stand  for — 

I.  Equal  rights  and  justice  for  all  men  in  all  stations  of  life. 

II.  Protection  of  the  family  by  the  single  standard  of  purity, 
uniform  divorce  laws,  proper  regulation  of  marriage, 
proper  housing. 

III.  The  fullest  possible  development  of  every  child,  especially 
by  the  provision  of  education  and  recreation. 

IV.  Abolition  of  child  labour. 

V.  Such  regulation  of  the  conditions  of  toil  for  women  as 
shall  safeguard  the  physical  and  moral  health  of  the  com¬ 
munity. 

VI.  Abatement  and  prevention  of  poverty. 

VII.  Protection  of  the  individual  and  society  from  the  social, 
economic  and  moral  waste  of  the  liquor  traffic. 

VIII.  Conservation  of  health. 

IX.  Protection  of  the  worker  from  dangerous  machinery, 
occupational  diseases  and  mortality. 

X.  The  right  of  all  men  to  the  opportunity  for  self-mainte¬ 
nance,  for  safeguarding  this  right  against  encroachments 


306 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


of  every  kind,  for  the  protection  of  workers  from  the 
hardships  of  enforced  unemployment. 

XI.  Suitable  provision  for  the  old  age  of  the  workers,  and  for 
those  incapacitated  by  injury. 

XII.  The  right  of  employees  and  employers  alike  to  organize; 
and  for  adequate  means  of  conciliation  and  arbitra¬ 
tion  in  industrial  disputes. 

XIII.  Release  from  employment  one  day  in  seven. 

XIV.  Gradual  and  reasonable  reduction  of  hours  of  labour  to 
the  lowest  practicable  point,  and  for  that  degree  of  lei¬ 
sure  for  all  which  is  a  condition  of  the  highest  human  life. 

XV.  A  living  wage  as  a  minimum  in  every  industry,  and  for 
the  highest  wage  that  each  industry  can  afford. 

XVI.  A  new  emphasis  upon  the  application  of  Christian  prin¬ 
ciples  to  the  acquisition  and  use  of  property,  and  for  the 
most  equitable  division  of  the  product  of  industry  that 
can  ultimately  be  devised. 

Facing  the  social  issues  involved  in  reconstruction, 

Resolved:  That  we  affirm  as  Christian  Churches, 

1.  That  the  teachings  of  Jesus  are  those  of  essential  democ¬ 
racy  and  express  themselves  through  brotherhood  and  the  coop¬ 
eration  of  all  groups.  We  deplore  class  struggle  and  declare 
against  all  class  domination,  whether  of  capital  or  labour.  Sym¬ 
pathizing  with  labour’s  desire  for  a  better  day  and  an  equitable 
share  in  the  profits  and  management  of  industry,  we  stand  for 
orderly  and  progressive  social  reconstruction  instead  of  revolu¬ 
tion  by  violence. 

2.  That  an  ordered  and  constructive  democracy  in  industry 
is  as  necessary  as  political  democracy,  and  that  collective  bar¬ 
gaining  and  the  sharing  of  shop  control  and  management  are 
inevitable  steps  in  its  attainment. 

3.  That  the  first  charge  upon  industry  should  be  that  of  a 
wage  sufficient  to  support  an  American  standard  of  living.  To 
that  end  we  advocate  the  guarantee  of  a  minimum  wage,  the  con¬ 
trol  of  unemployment  through  government  labour  exchanges, 
public  works,  land  settlement,  social  insurance  and  experimenta¬ 
tion  in  profit  sharing  and  cooperative  ownership. 

4.  We  believe  that  women  should  have  full  political  and 
economic  equality  with  equal  pay  for  equal  work,  and  a 
maximum  eight-hour  day.  We  declare  for  the  abolition  of  night 


WHAT  IS  THE  CHUKCH  DOING  !  307 

work  by  women,  and  the  abolition  of  child  labour;  and  for  the 
provision  of  adequate  safeguards  to  insure  the  moral  as  well  as 
the  physical  health  of  the  mothers  and  children  of  the  race. 

II.  A  Detailed  Account  of  the  Social  Work  of 

the  Church 

What  the  Churches  are  doing  at  present  toward 
Christianizing  the  social  order  may  be  summed  up 
under  the  four  headings  of  aims,  methods,  finances 
and  results. 

I.  Aims 

In  their  actions  creating  Social  Service  Commissions  all  denom¬ 
inations  assign  to  them  a  fourfold  duty:  (i)  To  hammer  into  the 
minds  and  hearts  of  the  people  the  truth  that  the  Church  and 
the  world  are  passing  through  a  period  of  profound  political 
and  social  disturbance;  that  we  are  already  living  in  a  newT  era 
which  is  characterized  by  the  rise  of  the  wage-earning  class 
throughout  the  whole  world,  demanding  imperiously  a  radical 
reconstruction  of  society  in  its  favour,  to  be  forced  on  every 
country  by  the  ballot,  or  if  necessary  by  violence.  (2)  To 
impress  upon  those  inside  and  outside  of  the  Church  that 
the  Church  is  in  possession  of  the  most  effective  remedy  for 
a  righteous  and  equitable  reconstruction  of  the  social  order, 
which  as  to  force,  comprehensiveness  and  results  is  unsurpassed. 
This  remedy  is  the  unabridged  and  unmutilated  Gospel  of  Christ, 
when  applied,  not  only  to  the  individual,  but  to  all  and  every 
relation  of  social  life.  Far  from  having  “  failed,”  as  many 
charge,  this  remedy  has  never  been  consistently  tried.  (3)  To 
impress  upon  rich  and  poor  alike  the  truth  taught  by  history 
and  philosophy  that  violence  in  any  form,  whether  used  by  the 
working  class  or  by  the  capitalists,  settles  nothing  permanently. 
(4)  To  warn  the  American  Churches  that,  unless  they,  with 
persistent  and  systematic  effort  (not  indirectly  and  as  a  mere 
“  aside  ”)  will  fight  iniquity  in  high  as  well  as  low  places  by  en¬ 
forcing  Christian  principles,  they  will  be  eliminated  as  a  de¬ 
ciding  factor  in  the  pending  reconstruction  of  society,  and  will 
gradually  lose  out  in  numbers  and  influence.  Even  optimistic 
observers  are  afraid  that  this  retrograde  movement  has  already 
begun.  At  the  conference  of  the  Industrial  Relation  Department 


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of  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  on  October  2,  1919,  Bishop* 
McConnell  uttered  these  strong  words  of  warning :  “  This  is  the 
one  supreme  opportunity  for  the  Church  of  God,  and  if  she  fails 
now  to  take  the  place  of  leadership  and  counsel  in  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  real  human  brotherhood,  she  will  not  recover  from  her 
loss  of  prestige  for  generations,  perhaps  for  centuries.  The 
torch  of  light  and  life  will  be  transferred  to  other  hands  or 
mayhap  the  world  will  be  plunged  into  a  period  of  darkness  of 
inconceivable  horror  and  tragedy.’’ 

II.  Methods 

How ,  by  what  methods  do  the  Churches  try  to  “  hammer  in  ” 
the  truths  of  Christ’s  social  Gospel?  (1)  By  setting  forth  the 
social  principles  of  the  Gospel  in  what  is  known  as  the  Social 
Creed  of  the  Churches.  (2)  All  commissions  serve  as  clearing 
houses  and  centers  of  information  and  advice  to  their 
ministers  and  lay  workers  on  all  kinds  of  questions  pertaining 
to  this  department  of  church  work,  in  order  to  protect  them 
from  standpatism  on  the  one  hand  and  radicalism  on  the 
other.  (3)  Some  Commissions  maintain  a  steady  and  close 
contact  with  the  controlling  Boards  and  faculties  of  their  semi¬ 
naries  and  higher  institutions  of  learning,  constantly  consult¬ 
ing  with  them  as  to  courses  of  instruction  and  the  purchase  of 
the  right  kind  of  literature  for  their  libraries.  (4)  The  organi¬ 
zation,  along  social  and  economic  lines,  of  men  and  boys  within 
our  Churches  or  friendly  to  them  is  becoming  a  promising  feature 
of  social  work.  This  work  is  flourishing  greatly  in  Germany, 
England,  Switzerland,  Holland,  as  well  as  in  the  Catholic  and 
Episcopal  Churches  in  America.  It  has  been  blessed  in  many 
ways.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  men  have  by  these  efforts 
been  kept  in  the  church.  It  is  predicted  that  in  America  with  her 
forty-five  million  of  wage-earners  a  radical  party  will  be  evolved 
during  the  present  generation  strong  enough  to  seize  the  reins 
of  the  federal  government.  This  would  mean  great  depletion 
of  the  Churches  unless  the  denominations  are  wise  enough  to  do 
something  decisive,  persistent,  systematic  and  at  once  in  organiz¬ 
ing  and  instructing  their  men  and  boys  and  also  their  working 
women  in  the  Church’s  view  of  the  social  questions.  (5)  Some 
Commissions,  especially  the  Catholics  and  Episcopalians,  conduct 
lecture  bureaus,  sending  out  men  and  women  to  speak  on 
“Labour  Sundays,”  Summer  Conferences  and  Church  forums. 


WHAT  IS  THE  CHURCH  DOING  t 


309 


(6)  The  Commissions  of  all  denominations  devote  more  or  less 
attention  to  what  is  called  “  Social  Service,”  such  as  temperance, 
marriage  and  divorce,  good  literature,  Sunday  rest,  the  problem 
of  amusements,  of  watching  the  secular  press  in  its  attitude 
toward  the  Church,  examining  libraries  with  a  view  to  having 
books  introduced  upholding  the  Christian  standards,  etc,  etc.  (7) 
Some  Commissions  specialize  in  the  settlement  of  industrial  con¬ 
flicts  and  by  exposing  and  fighting  efforts  to  suppress  the  free¬ 
dom  of  Churches,  or  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Federal  Constitution. 
(8)  Much  of  this  work  is  done  in  close  cooperation  with  other 
denominations,  or  with  the  Federation  of  Churches,  or  the  Y. 
M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  or  with  local  Welfare  departments 
and  even  with  Labour  and  Farmers’  organizations.  The  very  best 
results,  however,  are  always  obtained  by  each  denomination 
organizing  its  own  work  with  systematic  thoroughness  and  ac¬ 
cording  to  its  own  peculiar  spirit  and  form  of  government  and 
under  the  advice  of  its  own  office-bearers. 

III.  Finances 

In  some  Churches  a  definite  sum  is  apportioned  by  the  church 
bodies  or  by  the  boards.  In  others  the  expenses  of  the  Commis¬ 
sion  are  defrayed  by  larger  subscriptions  or  underwriting  engage¬ 
ments  from  a  few  individuals.  These  larger  contributions  are 
being  made,  not  with  any  idea  of  controlling  the  actions  of  the 
Commissions,  but  are  inspired  by  the  purest  motives  of  having 
Christ’s  view-point  on  these  pressing  social  questions  presented 
to  friend  and  foe  with  the  same  thoroughness  and  persistence  as 
the  radicals  press  their  peculiar  propaganda. 

IV.  Results 

Though  of  very  recent  date,  the  results  of  this  specific  social 
work  by  the  Churches  are  very  considerable.  Of  course,  as  in 
the  case  of  all  the  best  and  most  essential  church  work,  these 
results  cannot  be  tabulated  and  given  in  the  form  of  statistics. 
Yet  they  are  already  very  perceptible.  For  example,  the  whole 
atmosphere  of  the  Churches  is  fast  becoming  surcharged  with 
what  may  be  termed  the  “  social  consciousness  ”  to  an  extent 
never  known  before.  The  majority  of  the  seminaries  are  becom¬ 
ing  more  alert  in  teaching  the  social  principles  of  the  Bible ;  the 
attitude  of  even  the  radical  labour  organizations  toward  the 
Church  is  becoming  more  conciliatory  in  America,  etc.,  etc.  And 
this  is  only  the  beginning. 


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III.  The  Church’s  Chief  Reasons  for  Working 
Toward  the  Christianizing  of 
the  Social  Order 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,”  288  f. 

(1)  Because  it  is  a  prominent  part  of  the  Church’s 
distinctive  mission  to  establish  righteousness  among  all 
men.  Her  great  task  is  not  to  reason  out  new  defini¬ 
tions  on  abstruse  theological  subjects  but  to  teach  and 
impress  upon  men  Christ’s  way  of  individual  and  col¬ 
lective  living,  i.  e.y  to  induce  men  to  submit  to  God’s 
will.  (2)  Justifiable  self-interest .  The  Church’s  in¬ 
come  depends  on  the  prosperity  of  the  great  mass  of 
the  people  rather  than  on  a  few  rich  men.  An  eco¬ 
nomic  system  which  would  make  moderate  wealth  ap¬ 
proximately  universal  would  be  the  best  soil  for  robust 
church  life  and  true  piety.  Alienation  from  church 
membership  is  often  due  to  financial  inability.  More¬ 
over,  the  Church  herself  needs  real  estate  and  in  the 
cities  she  often  has  to  pay  profiteer  prices  for  every¬ 
thing.  (3)  Our  pauperizing  economic  system  has  a 
deteriorating  effect  on  the  ministry,  because  the  mid¬ 
dle  class  from  which  most  of  the  pastors  are  drawn 
is  fast  losing  its  independence,  becoming  mere  wage- 
earners  and  proletarians  with  no  share  in  the  wealth- 
producing  capital.  What  then  is  more  natural  to  some 
ministers  than  to  cater  to  the  churches  offering  the 
highest  “  wage  ”  and  clinging  to  the  job  even  if  they 
have  to  lower  their  prophetic  ideals  ?  (4)  Poverty  puts 
a  heavy  burden  on  the  Church  by  compelling  it  to  do 
for  the  millions  of  people  things  which  these  people 
under  a  more  humane  economic  system  ought  to  do  for 
themselves.  (5)  It  is  becoming  exceedingly  difficult 


WHAT  IS  THE  CHURCH  DOING  t 


311 


to  win  the  poor  and  the  paupers  for  Christ  and  the 
Church,  because  economic  helplessness  bears  the  soul 
down  with  a  numbing  sense  of  injustice  and  despair, 
while  underfeeding  and  exhaustion  depress  the  brain 
and  lower  the  will  to  morality.  (6)  Our  competitive 
commercialism  (rum,  firearms,  opium,  war)  has  neu¬ 
tralized  much  of  the  uplift  work  of  foreign  missions, 
and  since  the  World  War  the  moral  supremacy  of 
Christianity  is  being  seriously  questioned  by  educated 
pagans.  (7)  In  times  of  bloody  revolutions  the 
Church  has  always  been  the  first  aim  of  attack,  partly 
because  the  ministry  has  shown  too  little  sympathy  for 
the  underdog  in  the  economic  struggle  for  existence. 


CHAPTER  XXX 


SHALL  WE  STAND  BY  THE  CHURCH  IN  HER 
EFFORTS  TO  CHRISTIANIZE  THE 
SOCIAL  ORDER  ? 

Parallel  Readings: 

Brown,  C.  R.,  “  The  Honor  of  the  Church.” 

Kent — Jenks,  “Jesus’  Principles  of  Riving,”  chap.  12. 

Drake,  “  Shall  We  Stand  by  the  Church?  ” 

Shaw,  B,  “  Going  to  Church.” 

Russell,  B.,  “  Why  Men  Fight,”  245-272. 

Vedder,  “  The  Ethics  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democ¬ 
racy,”  50. 

Rauschenbusch,  “  Christianizing  the  Social  Order,”  235-324. 

Jones,  Ilion  T.,  “  Is  There  a  God?  ” 

Fosdick,  Harry  Emerson,  “  Christianity  and  Progress.” 

Harper,  William  Allen,  “  The  Church  in  the  Present  Crisis.” 

Strong,  Augustus  H.,  “What  Shall  I  Believe?” 

The  previous  chapter  has  shown  that  the  Church  is 
engaged  in  a  tremendous  work  to  establish  righteous 
conditions  in  the  world.  When  all  the  failures  and 
wrongs  that  may  be  truthfully  laid  to  the  charge  of 
the  Churches  have  been  admitted,  the  fact  remains  that 
there  is  no  institution  besides  the  Church  which  for  so 
long  a  time  and  so  extensively  and  effectively  has 
wrought  for  the  religious,  moral  and  social  uplift  of 
the  whole  human  race,  either  directly  through  her  in¬ 
dividual  members  and  organizations  or  indirectly  by 
inspiring  other  groups  to  engage  in  reform  movements. 
The  challenge  to  you,  reading  these  words,  is:  Shall  we 
stand  by  this  universal  benefactress  of  the  human  race f 

312 


SHALL  WE  STAND  BY  THE  CHUBCH  ?  313 


Let  us  carefully  analyze  the  challenge  to  see  what  it  all 
means. 

1.  Shall  we  stand  by  the  Church?  Who  are  the 
“we”?  (1)  Not  only  the  ministers  and  officers,  but 

the  millions  of  loyal  members  of  all  types  of  education 
and  social  standing.  (2)  Also  the  lukewarm  and  in¬ 
different  adherents  who  for  some  reason  (often 
through  the  fault  of  the  Church  or  changed  circum¬ 
stances)  have  gotten  out  of  vital  touch  with  the  social 
and  community  life  of  a  definite  congregation,  though 
attending  the  Divine  services  occasionally  or  even  with 
some  regularity.  (3)  Also  those  former  members  of 
churches  and  Sunday-schools  who  have  entirely  drifted 
away  from  church  life  and  religious  exercises  without, 
however,  losing  their  God-consciousness.  (4)  The 
challenge  is  meant  to  be  very  personal  to  you  who  are 
just  now  reading  it.  Our  fear  is  not  that  only  very 
few  will  stay  with  the  Church,  for  she  will  always  have 
a  well-trained  and  loyal  army  of  many  millions  com¬ 
posed  of  high  and  low,  of  plain  and  educated  people. 
The  question  is:  will  you  stand  by  your  spiritual 
Mother,  and  if  hitherto  lukewarm,  will  you  return,  or 
“  will  ye  also  go  or  stay  away?  ”  (John  6:  67). 

Note.  A  recent  writer  says:  “The  worst  foes  the  Church  has 
to-day,  and  the  ones  from  which  its  collapse  will  come  if  it  is 
coming — and  it  is  not — are  those  within  its  own  bosom,  and, 
above  all,  its  shepherds  and  pastors.  That  is  to  say,  our  churches 
are  full  of  ministers  who  have  no  particular  sense  of  the  divine 
origin  and  nature  of  the  Church  they  lead  and  serve,  no  particular 
love  for  it,  or  awe  in  its  wondrous  presence,  and  often  no  con¬ 
ception  of  its  transforming  progress  through  the  ages,  or  of  its 
divine  capacity  to  work  miracles  to-day.  As  a  result  of  this  their 
congregations  have  no  love  for  it,  attend  its  services  as  one  habit 
or  duty  among  many  others,  apologize  to  their  friends  for  their 
connection  with  it,  conceive  of  it  as  one  society  making  claims 


314 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


upon  them  among  many  others,  and  feel  none  of  that  wonder¬ 
ing  awe  in  its  presence,  and  none  of  that  overmastering  love  and 
devotion  for  it  that  one  sees  in  a  St.  Paul,  an  Augustine,  a  Ber¬ 
nard,  a  Newman  or  a  Phillips  Brooks.” 

2.  Emphasize  another  word :  Shall  we  stand  by  the 
Church ?  Not  only  by  the  principles  of  Christianity, 
or  by  “  religion,”  for  as  experience  and  reason  show, 
principles  evaporate  unless  incorporated  and  propa¬ 
gated  by  an  organization.  By  “  Church  ”  is  not  meant 
this  or  that  denomination,  but  any  organization  of  fol¬ 
lowers  of  the  Divine  leadership  of  Jesus.  The  question 
means,  shall  we  support  institutional  Christianity? 
Any  strengthening  of  organized  church  life  through 
your  active  interest  will  strengthen  the  spirit  of  re¬ 
ligion,  and  any  weakening  of  the  Church  as  an  or¬ 
ganized,  socialized,  democratic  brotherhood  will 
weaken  the  cause  of  righteousness  in  the  world. 

3.  Let  a  third  word  be  stressed.  Shall  we  stand  by 
the  Church?  This  does  not  at  all  mean:  shall  we 
stand  pat  on  all  that  the  Churches  in  their  councils, 
creeds  and  through  their  officials  and  Boards  say  or 
do.  Just  the  contrary.  The  Church  is  an  organiza¬ 
tion  in  which  every  member  has  his  rights,  not  only  the 
leaders;  and  it  is  therefore  not  merely  the  right  but 
also  the  duty,  especially  of  the  more  spiritually-minded 
and  educated  members,  to  assist  in  setting  the  Church 
right  in  matters  in  which  she  may  be  considered  wrong. 
With  regard  to  the  creeds  and  systems  of  theology  our 
intelligent  members  should  be  taught  in  a  reverend 
spirit  to  make  a  clear  distinction  between  theology 
which  is  a  philosophical  attempt  to  interpret  the  facts 
of  the  Bible  and  of  religious  experience,  and  religion 
which  is  the  life-spirit  of  God  in  the  hearts  of  men 
manifesting  itself  in  a  moral  life.  Moreover,  Protes- 


SHALL  WE  STAND  BY  THE  CHUECH  ?  315 


tant  Churches  in  modern  times  have  declared  repeatedly 
by  official  action  that  their  creeds  are  to  be  accepted 
“  for  substance  of  doctrine  ”  only,  that  is,  only  as  far 
as  they  state  fundamental  principles,  each  individual 
enjoying  liberty  of  conscience  as  guaranteed  by  Prot¬ 
estantism.  The  fear  of  synods  or  creeds  is  therefore 
a  relic  of  an  old  superstition.  While  Christ’s  Gospel 
is  infallible,  the  Church  is  in  constant  danger  of  back¬ 
sliding.  Criticism  is  therefore  necessary  to  remind 
her  of  her  duty.  Coming  from  her  own  children,  how¬ 
ever,  such  criticism  should  be  friendly,  reverent  (for 
she  is  our  spiritual  mother),  intelligent  and  construc¬ 
tive.  Harsh  and  exaggerated  charges  against  the 
Church  betray  ingratitude  and  miss  their  point. 
Especially  the  educated  church  members  should  not 
degenerate  into  religious  snobs  or  common  scolds. 

4.  What  does  “standing  by  the  Church ”  involve? 
(1)  Church  membership  and  regular  financial  support 
according  to  the  system  in  vogue.  You  non-supporter 
of  the  Church,  do  you  think  it  fair  to  let  others  pay  for 
the  benefit  you,  your  family,  your  property,  etc.,  enjoy 
through  the  Church?  Babson  writes:  “  Your  real 
estate  and  stocks  would  not  be  worth  a  cent  if  the 
Churches  were  removed.”  (2)  Regular  church 
attendance.  Laymen,  as  a  rule,  do  not  realize  the 
importance  of  church  attendance.  If  they  did,  they 
would  not  so  often  allow  a  cloud,  or  a  shower,  or  a 
wind,  or  a  snow,  or  a  caller,  or  a  newspaper,  or  a  head¬ 
ache,  or  a  fit  of  laziness,  to  keep  them  home.  A  min¬ 
ister  deserted  by  his  representative  men  dies.  He  dies 
by  inches.  No  man  can  preach  with  sustained  fire 
and  hope  whose  leading  people  show  by  their  desultory 
attendance  that  public  worship  is  to  them  one  of  the 
incidentals  or  electives  of  life. 


316 


N EW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Note  I.  Witty  George  Bernard  Shaw  has  come  out  with  the 
view  that  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  close  up  all  the  churches. 
His  reason  for  the  suggestion  is  that  people  would  then  feel  the 
need  of  churches  so  intensely  that  they  would  demand  a  reopening ; 
and  Rabbi  Kraushopj  said  recently:  “There  are  times  when  I 
sincerely  wish  society  would  dismiss  its  ministers,  turn  its 
churches  into  dance  halls  and  convert  its  Sunday  schools  into 
gambling  rooms,  so  as  to  have  a  taste  of  what  it  would  mean  to 
be  completely  without  religion.  For  a  time  all  would  go  on  as 
before.  But  it  will  not  be  long  before  the  consequences  of  the 
sins  and  crimes  of  society  would  raise  a  loud  cry  for  the  reopen¬ 
ing  of  the  church.  Men  would  then  recognize  that  a  blow  at  the 
Church  is  a  yet  harder  blow  at  society,  and  the  thrust  at  the 
preacher,  the  hardest  kind  of  a  thrust  at  the  law  of  God  and 
man.” 

Note  2. 

Twenty  Reasons  Why  We  Go  To  Church 

1.  Because  the  church  eternally  points  to  Almighty  God. 

2.  Because  the  church  reclaims  the  human  soul  for  its 
immortal  destiny. 

3.  Because  the  church  reminds  of  Jesus  Christ. 

4.  Because  the  church  is  the  comforter  of  broken  hearts. 

5.  Because  the  church  is  the  friend  of  education  and  culture. 

6.  Because  the  church  stands  for  brotherhood. 

7.  Because  the  church  stands  for  social  justice  and  civic 
righteousness. 

8.  Because  the  church  is  the  great  builder  of  morals. 

9.  Because  the  church  is  the  eternal  foe  of  evil. 

10.  Because  the  church  is  the  inspirer  of  health  and  happiness. 

11.  Because  the  church  is  the  great  expounder  of  duty  to  God, 
to  neighbour  and  to  self. 

12.  Because  the  church  is  the  big  brother  of  every  needy  soul 
and  worthy  cause. 

13.  Because  the  church  is  the  kind  mother  of  all  the  best 
things  in  our  civilization. 

14.  Because  the  experience  of  nineteen  Christian  centuries 
proves  that  churchgoing  is  a  good  thing. 

15.  Because  the  imparting  of  the  mighty  fire  of  Christ’s  Gos¬ 
pel  through  all  the  world  is  inseparably  bound  up  with  her  des¬ 
tiny. 


SHALL  WE  STAND  BY  THE  CHUECH  ?  317 


16.  Because  my  children  need  the  church,  and  my  community 
would  be  a  desolate  place  without  a  church. 

17.  Because  if  I  absent  myself  from  church  and  every  one  else 
did  the  same,  a  privilege  I  cannot  deny  them  if  I  accept  it  for 
myself,  there  would  be  no  church. 

18.  Because  the  church  is  the  proclaimer  of  the  Bible. 

19.  Because  the  church  is  the  herald  of  the  Christian  Sabbath. 

20.  Because  the  church  is  the  guardian  of  the  home. 

— From  the  Gideon. 

5.  “  Standing  by  the  Church”  further  involves 
taking  some  active  part  in  the  making  and  executing 
programs  of  definite  church  work  according  to  your 
ability.  Babson  says:  “  The  Church  has  great 
resources  but  they  are  sadly  undeveloped.  She  holds 
within  herself  the  keys  for  the  solution  of  our  indus¬ 
trial  and  international  problems,  but  she  is  the  most 
inefficiently  operated  of  any  business  and  the  most 
backward  in  its  methods.” 

6.  Why  should  we  stand  by  the  Church ?  The 
answer  is  substantially  given  in  the  preceding  remarks. 
Let  us  summarize:  (1)  Because  she  is  fighting  a  good 
fight  against  a  new  barbarism.  She  may  not  always 
fight  well  but  the  principles  she  is  fighting  for — truth, 
honour,  righteousness,  purity,  family,  law  and  order, — 
are  certainly  worth  while,  deserving  your  support. 
(2)  The  enemy  within  and  without  her  is  so  strong 
that  she  needs  all  the  friends  of  idealism,  especially 
her  educated  adherents  to  enlist  in  some  kind  of  active 
service.  (3)  The  recognition  of  Christ’s  intellectual 
supremacy  is  growing  remarkably  in  recent  years.  It 
is  considered  by  an  increasing  number  of  men  that  to 
disregard  His  teaching  is  poor  statesmanship  and  bad 
political  economy.  Professor  Shenton  says:  “No 
sociologist  has  a  program  for  social  betterment  that  is 
not  more  adequately  stated  in  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 


318 


NEW  TESTAMENT  SOCIOLOGY 


Christ.”  This  is  true  of  Christ’s  Gospel  in  general. 
While,  because  of  the  limitations  of  the  human  mind, 
many  mysteries  remain  unsolved  yet  it  answers  more 
questions,  explains  more  difficulties,  satisfies  more 
wants,  agrees  better  with  sound  philosophical  princi¬ 
ples,  is  truer  to  the  facts  of  history  and  human  con¬ 
victions  and  responds  more  readily  to  the  religious 
need  of  man  than  any  other  system.  Untold  millions 
have  traced  the  principle  of  a  new  life  in  their  souls 
to  the  faith  in  Christ  as  taught  by  the  Church  in  her 
catechisms,  hymns  and  prayers.  “  It  is  the  old  time 
religion,  and  is  good  enough  for  me.” 

7.  The  Church  offers  the  best  environment.  This 
fact  has  recommended  the  Christian  system  to  lead¬ 
ers  of  thought  in  all  ages.  Hence,  to  the  sceptical 
question,  “have  any  of  the  rulers  believed  on  him?” 
(John  7:  48),  history  answers  with  a  confident  affirm¬ 
ative.  A  large  per  centage  of  the  “  rulers  ”  in  govern¬ 
ment,  philosophy,  science,  art,  literature,  commerce 
and  industry  have  believed  on  Him.  They  may  not 
have  believed  ever}4hing  that  man-made  creeds  say 
about  Him  but  His  divine  personality  was  never  held 
in  higher  veneration  than  to-day.  Only  the  fool  says 
in  his  heart,  “  There  is  no  God.” 

Churchmen  are  the  finest  idealists  to  work  with  for 
the  elevation  of  the  race.  When  acting  as  a  church 
officer  or  a  Sunday-school  superintendent,  or  a  Bible 
Class  teacher,  or  presiding  over  a  young  people’s  or¬ 
ganization,  etc.,  remember  that  in  doing  this  kind  of 
work  you  are  closely  associated  in  spirit  and  often  by 
personal  contact  with  men  of  the  type  of  United  States 
presidents,  senators,  congressmen,  governors,  judges, 
university  and  college  professors  from  all  faculties, 
captains  of  industry,  the  leaders  of  finance,  authors, 


SHALL  WE  STAND  BY  THE  CHURCH  ?  319 


artists,  not  to  mention  the  flower  of  refined  woman¬ 
hood  of  America.  And  then  look  into  the  past,  re¬ 
membering  that  when  assisting  your  Church  you  are 
associated  in  this  work  of  elevating  the  human  race 
with  Jesus,  Paul,  St.  Augustine,  Tertullian,  the  Re¬ 
formers,  and  untold  millions  of  laymen  of  a  high  type. 
“  Brothers,  we  are  treading  where  the  saints  have 
trod !  ” 

8.  Patriotism  demands  support  of  the  Church. 
Finally,  loyal  Americans  should  never  kick  down  the 
ladder  by  which  we  climbed  up  or  allow  others 
to  kick  it  down  or  malign  it.  The  keen-minded 
De  Tocqueville  said  wisely  concerning  the  atheistic 
Republicans  of  France:  “Despotism  may  rule  with¬ 
out  faith,  but  liberty  cannot.  Religion  is  much  more 
necessary  in  a  republic  which  they  set  forth  in 
glowing  colours  than  in  the  monarchy  which  they  at¬ 
tack  ;  it  is  more  needed  in  democratic  republics  than  in 
any  others.  How  is  it  possible  that  society  should 
escape  destruction  if  the  moral  tie  be  not  strengthened 
in  proportion  as  the  political  tie  is  released  ?  What  can 
be  done  with  a  people  who  are  their  own  masters  if 
they  be  not  submissive  to  God?  ” 

Reader,  what  is  your  personal  answer  to  the  chal¬ 
lenge  to  support  the  Church?  Shall  we  stand  by  the 
Church  in  this  great  but  worth-while  struggle?  Or 
shall  we  oppose  her,  or  shall  we  merely  criticize  any 
wrong  movements  of  hers  which  we  might  discover  or 
be  told  of  by  other  carping  critics? 

Answer  to  your  conscience  and  to  the  land  we  all 
love  and  desire  to  elevate ! 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


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